McCoy Lake Fishing near Fergus Falls, Minnesota

• Overview

  McCoy Lake is an Otter Tail County water, Minnesota side. The country here is lake country bush. It runs to roughly 28 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 1.0 miles keeps the choices simple. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Otter Tail County. You are 10 miles from Fergus Falls. The nearest city of size is Fargo, 49 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on McCoy Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Otter Tail County list largemouth bass, black crappie and walleye. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. McCoy Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 69°F, while January sits near 6°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Anyone fishing McCoy Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Rice Lake at 0.8 miles is the nearest alternative. For McCoy Lake in particular, ask before you travel.