Fishing at Stuart Lake, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Otter Tail County end of Minnesota holds Stuart Lake. Around the bank it is mixed forest. This is sizeable water at about 724 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Few waters listed in Otter Tail County are bigger. For a base, Parkers Prairie sits 15 miles out. Beyond it, New York Mills at 19 miles and Perham at 22 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Stuart Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Otter Tail County: largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye, bluegill and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. At Stuart Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 7°F to 70°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Stuart Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Bredeson Lake is 1.7 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Stuart Lake.