Pickerel Lake Fishing Guide, Becker County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Pickerel Lake is a Becker County water, in Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,434 feet. This is sizeable water at about 317 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. With 6.1 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. On our Becker County list it sits near the top for size. Detroit Lakes lies 6.6 miles from the water. Fargo is the closest city, 50 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Pickerel Lake

  The basin has been measured to about 84 feet. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Becker County include bluegill, largemouth bass, walleye and northern pike. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The shape of Pickerel Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 68°F on average, January about 4°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Expect Pickerel Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public Boat Access gives a made launch, half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Five Lake at 1.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Pickerel Lake.