Windy Lake Fishing near Long Prairie, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Morrison County, Minnesota, sits Windy Lake. It stands 1,234 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 6 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Morrison County list. The nearest place of any size is Long Prairie, 13 miles away. Then Little Falls, 14 miles, and Royalton, 17 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Windy Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Morrison County list largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike and black crappie. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Treat Windy Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 71°F, while January sits near 9°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Windy Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Clare Johnson - Carl W. Schmidt Wildlife Management Area, Large Marsh Unit covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Polander Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Windy Lake locally before you travel.