Simon Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Simon Lake belongs to Cass County. Elevation runs to 1,237 feet. At about 107 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. There is roughly 1.5 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. You are 5.4 miles from Staples. Wadena is 16 miles and Lake Shore 21 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Simon Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Cass County list largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Simon Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 69°F, the coldest about 7°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan any trip to Simon Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. 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 ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Radabaugh Lake is 0.7 miles distant. For Simon Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.