Long Lake Fishing near Elbow Lake, Minnesota

• Overview

  Otter Tail County in Minnesota is where Long Lake sits. The water sits 1,250 feet up. Surface area is around 76 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. A shoreline of some 2.6 miles keeps the choices simple. You are 11 miles from Fergus Falls. Further out sit Elbow Lake (15 miles) and Parkers Prairie (27 miles). There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Otter Tail County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Long Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 7°F in January up to 70°F in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on Long Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Part of this sits inside or beside pca wpa, so read the notices. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Jotan Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Confirm access to Long Lake locally before you travel.