Fishing at Loon Lake, Crow Wing County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Loon Lake stands in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. It lies 1,247 feet above sea level. Roughly 50 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 1.3 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Supplies mean a trip to Crosby, 8.1 miles off. Aitkin follows at 13 miles, then Brainerd at 15 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Loon Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Crow Wing County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Loon Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 69°F and January near 7°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan around that when you fish Loon Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Maple Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Loon Lake are worth checking on the day.