Sawmill Lake Fishing near Fosston, Minnesota

• Overview

  Sawmill Lake is a Polk County water, Minnesota side. Elevation runs to 1,280 feet. With some 112 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Bank access stretches around 2.1 miles in total. It is among the larger waters listed here for Polk County. Nearest town is Fosston, 6.2 miles off. The big place round here is Fargo, 75 miles distant. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Sawmill Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Polk County: yellow perch, brown bullhead, white sucker, northern pike and black bullhead. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Treat Sawmill Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 68°F and January reads 3°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Sawmill Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Chapek Lake is 0.7 miles off. Check the position at Sawmill Lake before loading the car.