Fishing Pebble Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Pebble Lake, in Otter Tail County. The surface lies 1,191 feet up. Roughly 176 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 1.9 miles keeps the choices simple. 2.9 miles away sits Fergus Falls, the nearest town. Elbow Lake follows at 18 miles, then Pelican Rapids at 22 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Pebble Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Otter Tail County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, black crappie and walleye. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Pebble Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 71°F and January near 7°F on the long-run figures. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Pebble Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Chautauqua Lake, 1.4 miles away. For Pebble Lake in particular, ask before you travel.