Muskrat Lake Fishing in Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Itasca County end of Minnesota holds Muskrat Lake. Pine and birch runs right down to the water. It covers about 24 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Some 23 miles away sits Coleraine, the nearest settlement. Fargo is the closest city, 162 miles away. Not far off: Mink Lake just 0.4 miles, Oar Lake 0.7 miles off, Lebarge Lake just 0.7 miles, Oak Lake 0.7 miles off and Lake Alice just 0.8 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Muskrat Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Itasca County cover yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Muskrat Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 4°F and July at about 66°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. On Muskrat Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Mink Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Muskrat Lake are worth checking on the day.