Loon Lake in Crow Wing County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. The surface lies 1,240 feet up. The water covers some 57 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 1.2 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Some 4.6 miles away sits Crosby, the nearest settlement. Brainerd follows at 12 miles, then Aitkin at 14 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Loon Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Crow Wing County include largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The near bank of Loon Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 69°F in July and bottoms out near 8°F in January. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Expect Loon Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Wolf Lake, 1.2 miles away. Nothing on Loon Lake should be assumed from this page alone.