Ossawinnamakee Lake Fishing in Crow Wing County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Crow Wing County end of Minnesota holds Ossawinnamakee Lake. Elevation runs to 1,214 feet. The water covers around 685 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. On our Crow Wing County list it sits near the top for size. Breezy Point sits 3 miles from the bank. Crosslake follows at 4.6 miles, then Pequot Lakes at 5.5 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Ossawinnamakee Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Crow Wing County include largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Ossawinnamakee Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 69°F on average, January about 8°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Time your trip to Ossawinnamakee Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Strawberry Lake is 1.1 miles distant. None of that is settled for Ossawinnamakee Lake in what we hold.