Toms Lake Fishing in Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, this is Toms Lake. Height above sea level is 1,460 feet. It measures about 113 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The whole outline is near 2.3 miles, and most of it is walkable. You are 11 miles from Parkers Prairie. After that come Alexandria at 22 miles and Elbow Lake at 23 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Toms Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Otter Tail County names largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Toms Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 70°F and January near 7°F on the long-run figures. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Toms Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Deusch Lake is 1.2 miles off. For Toms Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.