Fishing at McMullen Lake, Kanabec County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Kanabec County, Minnesota, this is McMullen Lake. The surface lies 1,132 feet up. At 13 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Most waters listed here for Kanabec County are larger. The closest town, Hinckley, is 12 miles away. Sandstone is 14 miles away, with Mora at 18 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on McMullen Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Kanabec County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. McMullen Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 68°F and January near 7°F on the long-run figures. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On McMullen Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. 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. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Lake Five is 2.1 miles off. Treat McMullen Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.