Square Lake in Crow Wing County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Crow Wing County in Minnesota is where Square Lake sits. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. At about 33 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The nearest place of any size is Crosslake, 5.8 miles away. The nearest city of size is Minneapolis, 121 miles away. Also within reach: Spruce Lake (0.9 miles), Dolney Lake a touch under 1.4 miles, Adney Lake (2.1 miles), Bass Lake a touch under 2.2 miles and Mud Lake (2.3 miles). There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Square Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Crow Wing County include largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Square Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 68°F in July and bottom out at 7°F in January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. At Square Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Spruce Lake is 0.9 miles off. Confirm before you fish Square Lake.