Wirt Lake in Itasca County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Wirt Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. What surrounds it is rolling bush. At about 33 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Roughly 1.3 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Cohasset is the closest place, 39 miles off. After that come Coleraine at 42 miles and Grand Rapids at 42 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Wirt Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Itasca County records list yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Wirt Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 66°F in July and bottom out at 4°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and mid November closes it again. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Wirt Lake.

• 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. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Spruce Lake is 0.2 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Wirt Lake.