Fishing at North Twin Lake, Mahnomen County, Minnesota

• Overview

  North Twin Lake stands in Mahnomen County, Minnesota. The bank is 1,430 feet above sea level. Roughly 948 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Around 5.3 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Mahnomen County list. Nearest place of any size is Mahnomen, 16 miles away. Bagley is 22 miles away, with Fosston at 23 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on North Twin Lake

  The basin has been measured to about 18 feet. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Mahnomen County include rainbow trout, white sucker, northern pike and bluegill. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At North Twin Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 67°F at the top of summer and 4°F at the bottom of winter. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on North Twin Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Rice Lake, 1.3 miles away. Check the position on North Twin Lake before loading the car.