Fishing at Willis Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Willis Lake belongs to Itasca County, Minnesota. Everything around it is pine and birch. About 15 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Most waters listed here for Itasca County are larger. Coleraine is the closest place, 26 miles off. Cohasset is 27 miles and Grand Rapids 29 miles. If this one is busy: Tye Lake after 0.7 miles, Cameron Lake at 1 mile, Batson Lake after 1.1 miles, McDonald Lake at 1.2 miles and Joel Lake after 1.2 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Willis Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Itasca County include yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Willis Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 67°F; by January the average is down near 4°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Willis Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. 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. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Tye Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Willis Lake should be assumed from this page alone.