Fishing at Mike Lake, Mahnomen County, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Mike Lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota. The ground around here is pine and birch. At 13 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Mahnomen County. Mahnomen lies 16 miles from the water. Further out sit Bagley (27 miles) and Fosston (27 miles). Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Mike Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Mahnomen County include rainbow trout, white sucker, northern pike, bluegill and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Mike Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 4°F to 68°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Time your trip to Mike Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Rooster Lake is 0.4 miles off. Where Mike Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.