Round Lake Fishing near New York Mills, Minnesota

• Overview

  Round Lake is an Otter Tail County water, in Minnesota. The bank is 1,316 feet above sea level. At 266 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. About 2.3 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Nearest town is Perham, 7.5 miles off. New York Mills follows at 10 miles, then Frazee at 18 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Round Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye, bluegill and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Work Round Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 6°F to 70°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Round Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Round Lake Public Boat Ramp provides a boat ramp about half a mile away. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Mud Lake is 1.2 miles distant. Check the position on Round Lake before loading the car.