by Scott Mackenthun
This Minnesota crappie gem offers public water, or ice, year-round.
The numbers are in your favor when chasing crappies in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. In the Land of 10,000 lakes, Otter Tail County stands out for having over 1,000 lakes, tops in Minnesota and the most lakes in any single county in the United States. There’s no shortage of water here and enterprising crappie anglers can fish a handful of lakes in a day, satisfying anglers looking for trophies or numbers.
Expert Advice
Local fishing guide Jesse Thalmann (320-290-2035, Thalmann’s Guide Service) calls Otter Tail County home, residing in Henning and fishing the multitude of waters within a short drive of his front door. Thalmann suggests starting on some known crappie producers in the area including West Battle, Big Pine, Rush, or Clitherall Lakes. These four lakes, each of which is larger than 2,000 acres, offer enough diversity of habitat to accommodate a variety of crappie angling preferences. To prepare for a trip to Otter Tail County, check out the plethora of lakes and their structure and habitat by scanning around on the Navionics WebApp.
You can also see the most recent crappie catches, as well as historical survey catch data, at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources LakeFinder Page. Note that nearly all the fishing lakes in the county offer city, township, county, or state accesses that are free for public use.
“I’m very much a shallow, weed-focused kind of guy, and it’s a pattern you can lean on all year long,” Thalmann said. “I’ll start off the spring in bays, fishing minnows or plastics under a float, then moving out to pencil reeds and main lake structure ahead of the spawn. I’ll follow the crappies around, through the wave of spawners, and eventually they will push out to weed edges and the other ones will follow. It’s a pretty reliable summer pattern – I like to slow troll tube jigs 0.8-1.0 mile per hour, 6 to 9 feet of water on cabbage edges. That pattern will stay good from the moment they hit those post-spawn weeds until the fall.”
Not all cabbage patches are created equal, so when you find a good one, take note as you may have a location that will be productive year-round.
When Fall Falls
When the fall hits, Thalmann says that the crappies seem to split out one of two ways. Some head for deeper water, spreading out and suspending over holes. For others, Thalmann says the fish revert to spring maneuvers and head even more shallow.
“You can catch them either way,” Thalmann says, “but I like to focus on those fish that stay shallow or move up even more as you can catch some really big fish putting on that feedbag ahead of winter.”
Fishing the Ice
As fall lakes turn over and ice covers Otter Tail County, you can find Thalmann still searching for the shallow bite.
“If there is a good cabbage edge that stays green the entire year, those fish have no reason to move,” he says.” On ice, it’s a solid pattern here and across Minnesota. Find and fish shallow green weeds. There are big fish up shallow all the time, you just have to find them.”
Much More Than Crappie
If fishing brings you to Otter Tail County, you’re going to want to stay for the fun and bring along your family and friends to see the local attractions. Maplewood State Park has over 9,000 acres to roam including 25 miles of hiking trails, 20 miles of horse trails, and 8 lakes. Glendalough State Park touches seven lakes and 1,900 acres.
Golfers can enjoy over a dozen different courses within the county, most of which are public. Bikers and hikers can jump on the Central Lakes Trail, a former railroad line that follows Interstate 94 through the beautiful prairie to hardwood forest transition. Numerous campgrounds and resorts provide lodging accommodations to anyone’s preference.
The Otter Tail County Historical Society has an exhibit in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, telling the story of the region’s history of settlement, county organization, and farm economy history. Shoppers will enjoy browsing stores in New York Mills, Perham, Fergus Falls, and Battle Lake. Check out artist galleries in Vergas, Fergus Falls, and Battle Lake or the sculpture park in Vining. See the Cultural Center in New York Mills.
If you are a foodie, check out the local restaurant and supper club scene. Taste craft beers at Disgruntled Brewing in Perham or Outstate Brewing in Fergus Falls.
Like to hunt?
Otter Tail County has lots of wildlife management areas and public lands for chasing ring-necked pheasants or white-tailed deer. Otter Tail County is in the top 15% of counties for Boone and Crockett white-tailed deer entries.
Learn more about Otter Tail County on ExploreMinnesota.com.
Scott Mackenthun is a fisheries biologist and freelance outdoor writer from New Prague, Minnesota. He can be reached at scott.mackenthun@gmail.com
