Spider Lake Fishing near Coleraine, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Itasca County, Spider Lake is a Minnesota water. It lies 1,362 feet above sea level. At some 1,336 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. With 14 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Itasca County list. Nearest town is Coleraine, 14 miles off. The big place round here is Fargo, 157 miles distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Spider Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Itasca County, recorded fish include yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Spider Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 67°F for July and 5°F for January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Expect Spider Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lower Spring Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. For Spider Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.