Mile Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Crow Wing County entry here is Mile Lake, in Minnesota. It sits in lake country bush. The water covers some 81 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The whole outline is near 1.4 miles, and most of it is walkable. 2 miles away sits Baxter, the nearest town. Minneapolis sits 107 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Mile Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Crow Wing County include largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Mile Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 70°F on average, January about 8°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to Mile Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Upper Whipple Lake, 0.6 miles out. For Mile Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.