Scoop Lake Fishing near Bagley, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Scoop Lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,880 feet. Surface area runs to about 12 acres — small enough to read in one session. Our Mahnomen County list holds plenty of bigger water. 20 miles away sits Bagley, the nearest town. Mahnomen is 23 miles and Fosston 26 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Scoop Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Mahnomen County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, white sucker, northern pike, bluegill and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Scoop Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 67°F, with January the cold end at about 3°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Scoop Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Cesar Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Scoop Lake if anything is unclear.