Owen Lake Fishing Guide, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Owen Lake falls in Itasca County, part of Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,414 feet. About 272 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. Size puts it in the front rank of our Itasca County list. Keewatin sits 24 miles from the bank. Then Chisholm, 27 miles, and Coleraine, 27 miles. Water in the same corner: Pickle Lake 0.9 miles, Lost Lake 1.1 miles off, Walters Lake 1.1 miles, Bass Lake 1.2 miles off and Rainbow Lake 1.2 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Owen Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Work Owen Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 66°F and January about 4°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Owen Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. The water borders George Washington State Forest, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Pickle Lake, 0.9 miles out. Check the position at Owen Lake before loading the car.