Stumple Lake Fishing near Keewatin, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Itasca County, Minnesota, sits Stumple Lake. It sits at 1,365 feet above sea level. At roughly 12 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Itasca County list. Some 18 miles away sits Keewatin, the nearest settlement. Fargo sits 170 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Stumple Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Itasca County include yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Stumple Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 66°F, with January the cold end at about 5°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Stumple Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Stowe Lake, 0.7 miles out. For Stumple Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.