Glen Schmitt

Big things really do come in small packages at times. Such is the case with Ramsey County’s Turtle Lake, an excellent 450-acre multi-species lake despite its modest size. It’s located in Shoreview, in the Twin Cities metro area.

Lake Itasca receives a lot of visitors each year, and the majority of them aren’t there to fish. This Clearwater County lake is most famous for being the headwaters of the Mississippi River and being located within Itasca State Park. Those things make this 1,065-acre fishery one of the top tourist destinations in the state.

There’s a fair amount of structure throughout South Twin Lake in Mahnomen County, especially for a lake that’s just over 1,100 acres in size.
Among its shallow flats, breaklines, and underwater points, there’s also a healthy supply of vegetation, both above and below its surface.

Green Lake in Isanti County is primarily managed by the DNR for walleyes and northern pike. But this 833-acre fishery east of Princeton shouldn’t be overlooked for its crappie- and largemouth bass-catching opportunities, either.

White Iron, at more than 3,000 acres, also has some depth appeal, maxing out at 47 feet – enough deep water to support cold-water fish species such as tullibee. While its tullibee population is a fishable one, they also provide a rich forage base for the lake’s walleyes, northern pike, and smallmouth bass.

There aren’t many lakes to choose from in Benton County, but from a fishing standpoint, Little Rock Lake is the best of the lot. At more than 1,300 acres, it’s also the largest lake in the immediate area, and it’s located right off Highway 10 between St. Cloud and Rice.

There’s a flowage in southern Minnesota that includes two lakes in downtown Albert Lea in Freeborn County: Fountain Lake and a larger body of water to its southeast – the town’s namesake, Albert Lea Lake.
At more than 2,600 acres, Albert Lea Lake is a good-sized fishery for this area. It’s also a shallow lake, with a maximum depth of less than 6 feet. That lack of depth could be considered both good and bad.

Itasca County’s Ball Club Lake, or Big Ball Club, as it’s known locally, is somewhat of a mysterious fishery. Its 4,335 acres feature deep, clear water and most of it includes incredibly, sharp-sloping shorelines – from 10 feet to 40 feet of water in a hurry.

As an entry point to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Lake Isabella has several interesting traits worth noting before you consider dropping a fishing line.
Due to the lake’s location within the BWCAW, anglers are required to obtain a day-use permit in order to fish it. Further, Isabella is a “non-motorized” lake, and it remains a scenic fishery, despite the visible remains of the 2011 Pagami Creek wildfire (three-quarters of the lake still doesn’t have mature trees around it).