Fishing at Moon Lake, Clearwater County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Clearwater County, Moon Lake is a Minnesota water. This is lake country bush ground. With some 44 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 1.1 miles on foot. Bagley lies 13 miles from the water. Fargo sits 74 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Moon Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Clearwater County records list bluegill, northern pike and largemouth bass among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Moon Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 3°F in January to roughly 67°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. At Moon Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Rockstad Lake sits 3 miles off and takes the overflow. For Moon Lake in particular, ask before you travel.