Ottertail county is home to more 1,000 lakes, that’s more than any other county in the lower 48 states! I have been lucky enough to call this area my home for the past decade. As an avid outdoorsman I’ve come to realize that this area has a wide variety of unique outdoor adventures. Fergus Falls is located just off I-94 and makes a great location to stay and play for year round adventures. There’s hotels, restaurants, shopping and plenty of activities for the whole family. I’m going to list a few of my favorite outdoor activities that are found less than 30 minutes from Fergus Falls.
Let’s Begin with the Lakes! Many of our lakes offer beautiful clear water for fishing, swimming and boating. Bigger Lakes include Ottertail, Big Pine, Dead Lake, Star, East and West Battle and Clitherall. The area hosts some great walleye lakes, plenty of opportunities for lunker bass and some of the top panfish lakes in the state. There are even opportunities for sturgeon, muskies and channel catfish right within the Fergus Falls city limits.
Spring
As the snow melts and the lakes begin to thaw there is some fantastic late season pan-fishing for both trophy bluegills and crappies. There are also a handful of lakes that have a great tullibee bite late ice. Once the ice gets unsafe I turn my attention inland and start looking for shed deer antlers, there’s plenty of public WPA and WMA’s a person can walk. As the days get longer and the trees start to bud the turkeys are out and about. There’s such an abundance of turkeys that getting permission isn’t that difficult if knock on the right doors. Another favorite springtime activity is looking for Morel mushrooms. Nobody is going to tell you their spots, but success can be had if you know where to look. About this same timeframe I get back on the water in my boat and look for spawning crappies, think shallow warm water but make sure to release the trophy spawners and keep the smaller ones for a meal. The walleyes spawn as the water warms and it’s always fun to visit the walker lake hatchery to see the quality of fish that Ottertail lake kicks out.
Summer
Mother’s day weekend marks the opener of fishing statewide and for me that kicks off the summer. Ottertail County has trophy size fish of every variety form panfish, pike, musky, bass and walleye. I try not to limit myself to just one lake and it would take a lifetime to fish them all, just make sure to clean drain and dry you boat to avoid spreading invasive species. Washdown stations are becoming more prevalent and should be used whenever possible. When the summer gets hot and the lakes get busy I like to go night trolling for walleyes, the temps are cool, the lakes are quiet and the fishing can be fantastic. And if you find yourself out on Ottertail you can boat up to Zorba’s and enjoy a pizza or nachos on the dock. Many of our trophy panfish lakes are also trophy bass lakes, largemouth are found in most lakes and there are some quality smallmouth lakes as well. And if your looking for muskies, West Battle and a handful of other lakes can be top notch.
Autumn
As summer starts winding down I start to turn my attention to hunting but fall can be some of the best fishing of the year. The beauty of the changing leaves is often best viewed from a lake. Fergus Falls is a popular goose destination and the early season gets the waterfowl season started in September and goes all the way through Christmas. There are some public blinds available at Orwell dam and there are several goose guides in the Fergus Falls area with some deluxe pits available. As for ducks there is no shortage of water, and the prairie potholes, rivers and lakes can offer some fantastic waterfowl opportunities. There is also some quality pheasant hunting found throughout the region and even some opportunities for a MN prairie chicken. Check in with the DNR for information on getting a permit and where to hunt. There are some great apps that show where the many public places to walk for roosters are.
Winter
Once the lakes freeze up solid I put the shotgun away and head out on the ice for some ice-fishing. This is one of my favorite times of of year and it’s easy to hit several lakes in a day or a weekend in search of a good bite. Many of our local lakes are known for trophy crappies and bluegills so they have special regulations on limits and size. I encourage everyone to keep the smaller fish for eating and let the big ones go, this will ensure quality fishing for generations to come. If you’ve never been spearing you should give it a try, there’s something magical about staring down into the water and watching the underwater world stroll by. We have several lakes with special pike regulations so you can spear 10 smaller pike under 22″ or bring the kids out and put out a bunch of tip-ups and have them chase flags for the day. Snowmobiling is a popular winter past time and we have endless trails and ditches to ride, it also makes getting out to your ice fishing spot safer and faster. And if your looking for something to do a Sunday the Underwood Ice Races are pretty darn fun to watch.
I’m a firm believer that there are fantastic yearlong outdoor opportunities everywhere you look. Fergus Falls has no shortage of outdoor activities and I encourage you to spend some time in the area, I think you’ll be pleased with what you find. Cheers!
