Fishing Schelicher Lake in Polk County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Schelicher Lake is one of the Polk County waters in Minnesota. It stands 1,184 feet above sea level. About 17 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is a small entry by Polk County standards. Fosston is the closest place, 11 miles off. Fargo is the closest city, 70 miles away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Schelicher Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Polk County records list yellow perch, brown bullhead, white sucker and northern pike among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Schelicher Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 68°F at the top of summer and 4°F at the bottom of winter. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Schelicher Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Keller Lake at 0.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Schelicher Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.