Fishing at Tamarack Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Tamarack Lake sits in Itasca County, out in Minnesota. The bank is 1,381 feet above sea level. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Itasca County list. You are 20 miles from Cohasset. It is 155 miles to Fargo, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Tamarack Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Itasca County: yellow perch, largemouth bass and northern pike. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Take Tamarack Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 67°F; the cold one sits at 4°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Tamarack Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A made slipway is half a mile from here, which settles the boat question. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. A camping area sits within 0.9 miles of here. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, West Smith Lake is 0.3 miles off. None of that is settled for Tamarack Lake in what we hold.