Schafer Lake Fishing near Crosslake, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Cass County entry here is Schafer Lake, in Minnesota. The water sits 1,283 feet up. It runs to roughly 34 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 1.0 miles, small enough to learn in a day. The nearest town is Crosslake, 17 miles away. The nearest city of size is Minneapolis, 132 miles away. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Schafer Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Cass County records list largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Schafer Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 67°F; the cold one sits at 6°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. At Schafer Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Morrison Lake sits 1.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Schafer Lake before loading the car.