Fishing at Oxbow Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Itasca County in Minnesota is where Oxbow Lake sits. The land about it is mixed forest. It covers about 4 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Itasca County list. Supplies mean a trip to Cohasset, 13 miles off. Coleraine is 16 miles away, with Grand Rapids at 16 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Oxbow Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Itasca County records list yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Take Oxbow Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 67°F; by January the average is down near 4°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Oxbow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Forjer Lake is 0.3 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Oxbow Lake for certain.