Rain Barrel Lake in Itasca County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Rain Barrel Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. The surface lies 1,319 feet up. Small at around 12 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Itasca County list. You are 6.8 miles from Coleraine. It is 160 miles to Fargo, the nearest city. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Rain Barrel Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Itasca County names yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Rain Barrel Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 5°F in January up to 67°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan around that when you fish Rain Barrel Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Tadpole Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Rain Barrel Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.