Stony Lake Fishing in Cass County, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Stony Lake falls inside Cass County. The ground around here is pine and birch. Around 34 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Crosslake lies 17 miles from the water. Pequot Lakes lies 18 miles off, Breezy Point another 20 miles. Alternatives close at hand: Round Lake about 0.4 miles, Tamarack Lake at 0.7 miles, Rush Lake about 0.8 miles, Hay Lake at 1.1 miles and Hand Lake about 1.1 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Stony Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Cass County include largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, walleye and northern pike. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Stony Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 68°F; the cold one sits at 6°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It holds true on Stony Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Round Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Stony Lake for certain.