Long Lake Fishing near Coleraine, Minnesota

• Overview

  Long Lake sits in Itasca County, out in Minnesota. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. Surface area is around 138 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The perimeter runs near 3.3 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Cohasset is the closest town at 30 miles. It is 152 miles to Fargo, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Itasca County list yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Long Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 66°F on average, January about 4°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Long Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Elm Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. For Long Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.