Norway Lake Fishing in Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Norway Lake is an Otter Tail County water, in Minnesota. The bank gives way to rolling bush. The water covers around 403 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The shoreline runs about 5.5 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. On our Otter Tail County list it sits near the top for size. Nearest town is Fergus Falls, 9.1 miles off. For a city, Fargo is 58 miles off. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Norway Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Otter Tail County include largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye, bluegill and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Take Norway Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 70°F at the top of summer and 7°F at the bottom of winter. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan around that when you fish Norway Lake.

• 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. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Onstad Lake is 1.2 miles off. Treat Norway Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.