Long Lake in Stearns County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Long Lake, in Stearns County. Elevation runs to 1,247 feet. It runs to roughly 101 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The closest town, Sauk Centre, is 5.4 miles away. Osakis follows at 9.1 miles, then Long Prairie at 12 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Stearns County list largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, walleye and black crappie. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Long Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 71°F and January at 9°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Long Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Lily Lake, 0.7 miles out. Confirm access to Long Lake locally before you travel.