Fishing at Pool Lake, Beltrami County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Beltrami County end of Minnesota holds Pool Lake. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. Roughly 121 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Shoreline comes to about 1.8 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Bemidji sits 12 miles from the bank. Redby lies 21 miles off, Red Lake another 23 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Pool Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Pool Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 67°F in July and bottoms out near 3°F in January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Pool Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Peterson Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Pool Lake should be assumed from this page alone.