Fishing Rosby Lake in Pope County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Pope County entry here is Rosby Lake, in Minnesota. It lies 1,283 feet above sea level. With some 68 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 1.1 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Starbuck lies 9.6 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Fargo, 96 miles away. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Rosby Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name largemouth bass, common carp, northern pike, yellow perch and black crappie. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Rosby Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 70°F in July and bottom out at 9°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Rosby Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Farwell Wildlife Management Area, Southwest Unit covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Irgens Lake, 1.4 miles away. Confirm before you fish Rosby Lake.