South Turtle Lake Fishing in Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  South Turtle Lake lies in Otter Tail County, in Minnesota. The ground round it is pine and birch. The water covers around 635 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. You are looking at roughly 6.4 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. It is among the larger waters listed here for Otter Tail County. Fergus Falls is the closest place, 14 miles off. Then Elbow Lake, 22 miles, and Parkers Prairie, 24 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on South Turtle Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Otter Tail County list largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Treat South Turtle Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 70°F and January near 7°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan around that when you fish South Turtle 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. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Fiske Lake is 1.6 miles distant. Check the position on South Turtle Lake before loading the car.