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

• Overview

  North Lemmerhirt Lake sits in Otter Tail County, out in Minnesota. Land around it is mixed forest. With some 34 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. On size it sits at the modest end of our Otter Tail County list. Nearest town is Parkers Prairie, 8.8 miles off. Wadena is 13 miles and New York Mills 17 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on North Lemmerhirt Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Otter Tail County: largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Work North Lemmerhirt Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 69°F, the coldest about 6°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. North Lemmerhirt Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• 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. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. South Lemmerhirt Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat North Lemmerhirt Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.