Many of the lakes in this area have pretty good populations of smallmouth bass with some big bass mixed in too.
Pelican Lake
Pelican Lake is a good fishing lake right in the middle of Orr, Minnesota. This is a popular lake to stop at for a day for many anglers that are making the far drive from some of the states down south up into Canada. For those of you that plan on making a trip here for multiple days, there are a lot of fishing opportunities that will keep you busy here. The lake is known for its good bass fishing and panfish. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass have special regulations here and that has helped this lake become a very good lake for targeting quality-sized bass. You will find both species of fish here in fishable numbers. Most anglers target panfish on this lake. The crappie and bluegill fishery is very good here and it’s possible to fill a livewell with some nice-sized fish.
Northern pike fishing is also solid on this lake if you want to target them. Don’t expect to catch huge numbers of them here, but you will get some action if you fish for them. The fishing for walleye is tougher on this lake, but there are some walleye in the lake and some anglers do fish for them.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Vermilion (West End)
The west end of Lake Vermilion is about a 25 minute drive from Orr, Minnesota. This part of the lake has clearer water and is much better if you’re here during windy conditions. This end of the lake doesn’t have as much offshore structure as you will find on the east end, but there are still plenty of islands here to go along with bays, points, neckdowns and many other areas to fish. With the clearer water, the weeds grow deeper on this side of the lake. The west end is also known as being better for largemouth bass and crappie, however, you will still find some walleye, northern pike, muskie, smallmouth bass and perch on this side of the lake.
Go to our Lake Vermilion Fishing page to learn more about the fishing here.
Elbow Lake
Elbow Lake is a Canadian shield lake with a lot of rock structure. The water is bog-stained and infertile. Because of this, the lake has low numbers of fish here, but there are walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie and perch. This lake doesn’t receive a ton of fishing pressure.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Kjostad Lake
Kjostad Lake is a 438 acre lake that is located about 12 miles east of Orr, Minnesota. This lake has some deep water with a maximum depth of 50 feet. It supports a pretty diverse fishery and gets little angling pressure. Smallmouth bass are here in decent numbers. Largemouth bass are limited. Northern pike and walleye are here in low numbers, but there are some very big fish here. Bluegill, crappie and perch round out the panfish fishery.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Myrtle Lake
Myrtle Lake is an 876 acre lake about 8 miles east of Orr, Minnesota. This lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet with most of the lake less than 15 feet deep. There are good numbers of bluegill, crappie and perch in the lake. Anglers also target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Winchester Lake
Winchester is a 319 acre lake located about 12 miles east of Orr, Minnesota. It is a smaller lake, but it has good depth with steep drop-offs and a maximum depth of 50 feet. Winchester Lake is managed for lake trout. There are some bluegill, rock bass, perch, northern pike and smallmouth bass, but in very low numbers.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Best Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass will eat a variety of different baits. Minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches are definitely the best live baits for smallmouth bass.
When it comes to artificial lures, you have lots of options. Soft plastic crayfish, twin tail grubs, worms and minnow baits are very effective. Hard baits such as crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinners also work great.
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Live Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Best Rigs for Smallmouth Bass
With so many different soft plastics to use, you have so many different rigs that work great for smallmouth bass. The drop shot rig, a simple jighead, standup jigheads and scrounger jigheads are some of the best rigs for smallmouth bass. To see our full list, take a look at our best rigs for smallmouth bass page.
Best Techniques for Smallmouth Bass
There are so many different techniques you can use for smallmouth bass since they can be found shallow, deep and anywhere in between. Anglers usually cast for them, but jigging, drop shotting and drifting are also some great techniques for smallmouth bass.
To learn more, take a look at our best techniques for smallmouth bass page.
Learn More About Smallmouth Bass
Our smallmouth bass fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our smallmouth bass fishing website to learn more.
