Long Lake Fishing near Dassel, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Meeker County, Minnesota, this is Long Lake. It sits at 1,030 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 161 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. At about 3.1 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. The closest town, Dassel, is 1.7 miles away. It is 51 miles to Minneapolis, the nearest city. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Meeker County: largemouth bass, walleye and northern pike. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Long Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 11°F in January to roughly 72°F in July. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Long Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Spring Lake sits 1.4 miles off and takes the overflow. The position on Long Lake is worth confirming on the day.