Velvet Lake in Crow Wing County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, sits Velvet Lake. The surroundings are pine and birch. With some 162 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 1.8 miles on foot. You are 3.3 miles from Crosslake. Minneapolis is the closest city, 122 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Velvet Lake

  Charted depth runs to roughly 33 feet at its lowest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Crow Wing County include largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Velvet Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 69°F, while January sits near 7°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan any trip to Velvet Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Rock Lake is 1.1 miles distant. Ask locally about Velvet Lake if anything is unclear.