Pete Lake Fishing near Frazee, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Otter Tail County end of Minnesota holds Pete Lake. The surface lies 1,401 feet up. Surface area runs to about 12 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Otter Tail County standards. Supplies mean a trip to Frazee, 7.7 miles off. For a city, Fargo is 48 miles off. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Pete Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Otter Tail County cover largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Pete Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 69°F in July and bottoms out near 5°F in January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Pete Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Coffee Lake, 0.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Pete Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.