Mill Pond Fishing near Elbow Lake, Minnesota

• Overview

  Mill Pond lies in Grant County, in Minnesota. The surroundings are mixed forest. The water covers some 101 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The whole outline is near 1.6 miles, and most of it is walkable. Elbow Lake is the closest place, 6.1 miles off. The big place round here is Fargo, 70 miles distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Mill Pond

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name common carp, largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Mill Pond the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 70°F; by January the average is down near 8°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That shapes the year on Mill Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Horseshoe Lake is 0.4 miles off. For Mill Pond in particular, ask before you travel.