Ortman Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ortman Lake is one of the Morrison County listings for Minnesota. The water sits 1,220 feet up. Surface area runs to about 8 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Morrison County list. For a base, Pierz sits 4.2 miles out. It is 83 miles to Minneapolis, the nearest city. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Ortman Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Morrison County: largemouth bass, bluegill and northern pike. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Ortman Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 69°F on average, January about 8°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That is the shape of the year on Ortman Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Mapping shows parking within half a mile. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Denger Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Ortman Lake before loading the car.