Mow Lake Fishing Guide, Hubbard County, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Mow Lake belongs to Hubbard County. It sits at 1,391 feet above sea level. It measures about 111 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 2.0 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Park Rapids lies 15 miles from the water. For a city, Fargo is 97 miles off. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Mow Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Hubbard County include walleye, northern pike, black crappie, bluegill and largemouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Mow Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 5°F in January and 68°F in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Time your trip to Mow Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The water borders Badoura State Forest, so expect the reserve rules to apply. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Nagel Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Mow Lake in what we hold.