Fishing Rasmuson Lake in Swift County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Rasmuson Lake sits in Swift County, out in Minnesota. It sits in mixed forest country. With some 101 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Some 3.3 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Supplies mean a trip to Benson, 11 miles off. It is 112 miles to Minneapolis, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Rasmuson Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Swift County cover common carp, yellow perch and black crappie. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Rasmuson Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 10°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about early April to late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Time your trip to Rasmuson Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Anderson Lake is 0.9 miles off. Treat Rasmuson Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.