Pear Lake in Itasca County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Itasca County in Minnesota is where Pear Lake sits. Height above sea level is 1,398 feet. This is a pocket water of some 9 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Itasca County list. The nearest place of any size is Cohasset, 21 miles away. After that come Coleraine at 21 miles and Grand Rapids at 23 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Pear Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Itasca County: yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Pear Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 67°F and January near 4°F on the long-run figures. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Pear Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Plum Lake is 0.4 miles off. Rules at Pear Lake are worth checking on the day.