Moonshine Lake Fishing in Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Moonshine Lake is one of the Itasca County waters in Minnesota. It sits at 1,385 feet above sea level. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Itasca County are larger. Coleraine sits 3.2 miles from the bank. For a city, Fargo is 162 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Moonshine Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Itasca County include yellow perch, largemouth bass and northern pike. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Moonshine Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 5°F in January and 67°F in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Anyone fishing Moonshine Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Little Reiley Lake is 1.1 miles off. For Moonshine Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.