Mineral Lake in Otter Tail County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Mineral Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. This is lake country bush country. Roughly 594 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. With 9.9 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Few waters listed in Otter Tail County are bigger. Fergus Falls sits 8 miles from the bank. Fargo is the closest city, 61 miles away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Mineral Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. 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. Fish documented in Otter Tail County include largemouth bass, black crappie and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Mineral Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 7°F to 70°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Mineral Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The closest car park is 0.9 miles away, so pack accordingly. The water borders Nicholson WPA, so reserve rules are likely to apply. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Mud Lake is 1.7 miles off. For Mineral Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.