Rat Lake Fishing in Aitkin County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Aitkin County, Minnesota, is where Rat Lake sits. It stands 1,204 feet above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 419 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Shoreline length is close to 4.3 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. It ranks high for size among our Aitkin County listings. Some 21 miles away sits Aitkin, the nearest settlement. Beyond it, Crosby at 33 miles and Moose Lake at 33 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Rat Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Aitkin County cover northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch and black crappie. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The near bank of Rat Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 6°F to 67°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Rat Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Sandy River Lake is 1.5 miles off. Treat Rat Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.