Petit Lake Fishing near Park Rapids, Minnesota

• Overview

  Petit Lake sits in Hubbard County, out in Minnesota. The surface lies 1,421 feet up. Some 11 miles away sits Park Rapids, the nearest settlement. Further out sit Menahga (23 miles) and Bemidji (29 miles). Close neighbours run: Mantrap Lake just 0.9 miles, Upper Bottle Lake near enough 1.2 miles, Stocking Lake just 1.7 miles, Mud Lake near enough 1.8 miles and Giles Lake just 2.1 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Petit Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Hubbard County, recorded fish include walleye, northern pike, black crappie, bluegill and largemouth bass. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Read Petit Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 67°F and January at 4°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about mid November in an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Petit Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Big Mantrap WMA takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Mantrap Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Confirm access to Petit Lake locally before you travel.