Seventeen Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Isanti County entry here is Seventeen Lake, in Minnesota. What surrounds it is pine and birch. The bank runs about 1.1 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Ground here is low by Minnesota standards. The nearest place of any size is Braham, 3.9 miles away. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 49 miles distant. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Seventeen Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Isanti County include largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Seventeen Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 69°F for July and 9°F for January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. 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. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Seventeen Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Upper Rice Lake sits 1.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat Seventeen Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.