Fishing at Loon Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Itasca County in Minnesota is where Loon Lake sits. The water sits 1,270 feet up. It runs to roughly 222 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. You are looking at roughly 3.4 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. On our Itasca County list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Cohasset is 2.4 miles out. For a city, Fargo is 150 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Loon Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Itasca County, recorded fish include yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Loon Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 5°F in January to roughly 67°F in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Loon Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Long Lake, 0.6 miles away. Signs at Loon Lake carry more weight than any list.