Fishing Loon Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  This water sits in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Around the bank it is pine and birch. At about 72 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 1.3 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The town to know is Fergus Falls, 7.1 miles out. After that come Pelican Rapids at 16 miles and Elbow Lake at 25 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Loon Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Otter Tail County names largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Loon Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 6°F to 70°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It holds true on Loon Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Mud Lake, 0.4 miles away. Ask locally about Loon Lake if anything is unclear.