Ross Lake Fishing in Crow Wing County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Ross Lake is a Crow Wing County water, Minnesota side. The water sits 1,230 feet up. The water covers around 484 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. With 5.2 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It ranks high for size among our Crow Wing County listings. The town to know is Aitkin, 11 miles out. Crosslake is 13 miles away, with Crosby at 14 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Ross Lake

  Surveys put the deepest water at about 35 feet. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Work Ross Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 68°F; by January the average is down near 7°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Ross Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Twin Lakes, 0.7 miles out. Rules at Ross Lake are worth checking on the day.