Mary Lake Fishing in Clearwater County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Within Clearwater County, Minnesota, you have Mary Lake. Height above sea level is 1,490 feet. At about 54 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 1.2 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Supplies mean a trip to Park Rapids, 19 miles off. Fargo sits 80 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Mary Lake

  Charted depth runs to roughly 47 feet at its lowest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Clearwater County include bluegill, northern pike, largemouth bass and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Mary Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 67°F and January at 4°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. From about mid April to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish Mary Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Coffee Break Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Mary Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.