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

• Overview

  Pine Lake sits in Itasca County, out in Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,371 feet. With some 73 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 1.8 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. The town to know is Coleraine, 22 miles out. Cohasset follows at 23 miles, then Grand Rapids at 25 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Pine Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Itasca County records list yellow perch, largemouth bass and northern pike among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Treat Pine Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 66°F and January near 4°F on the long-run figures. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Time your trip to Pine Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Little Clubhouse Lake sits 0.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Pine Lake before loading the car.