Fishing at Sill Lake, Hubbard County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Within Hubbard County, Minnesota, you have Sill Lake. It lies 1,407 feet above sea level. It covers about 22 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. About 1.1 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. On size it sits at the modest end of our Hubbard County list. Park Rapids lies 1.7 miles from the water. Then Menahga, 13 miles, and New York Mills, 33 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Sill Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Hubbard County include walleye, northern pike, black crappie, bluegill and largemouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Sill Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 4°F in January up to 68°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Sill Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Ivan Lake, 0.5 miles away. What applies at Sill Lake may have changed since it was mapped.