Shafer Lake in Cass County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Shafer Lake sits within Cass County in Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,243 feet. At about 60 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The closest town, East Gull Lake, is 3.9 miles distant. For a city, Minneapolis is 115 miles off. Close neighbours run: Bass Lake (0.9 miles), Duffney Lake a touch under 1.5 miles, Long Lake (2 miles), Little Long Lake a touch under 2.2 miles and Green Bass Lake (2.2 miles). There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Shafer Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Cass County cover largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Shafer Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 68°F; the cold one sits at 7°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Anyone fishing Shafer Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. A picnic site half a mile off makes this workable with family in tow. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Bass Lake, 0.9 miles away. The position on Shafer Lake is worth confirming on the day.