Fishing Mad Dog Lake in Cass County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Mad Dog Lake is set in Cass County, Minnesota. The setting is rolling bush. At 24 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Head to Cohasset, 31 miles away, for anything you forgot. Crosslake is 31 miles and Grand Rapids 34 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mad Dog Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Cass County include largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Anyone new to Mad Dog Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 68°F and January near 5°F on the long-run figures. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Mad Dog Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. 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. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Iverson Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Mad Dog Lake before loading the car.