Upper Spring Lake Fishing near Coleraine, Minnesota

• Overview

  Itasca County in Minnesota is where Upper Spring Lake sits. It sits at 1,325 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 14 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Itasca County standards. Coleraine lies 13 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Fargo, 157 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Upper Spring Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Itasca County names yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Upper Spring Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 67°F and January about 5°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish Upper Spring Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lower Spring Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Upper Spring Lake in what we hold.