park rapids Mid Summer Trout

[JBMasterAngler]

Accidentally posted this in the Detroit Lakes forum, but it wouldn't let me delete it and put it here. Anyway...

Looking at doing a camping trip at long lake park in August. Looks like it's a nice place to camp, even if the trout aren't biting. With that being said, I'm used to fishing trout lakes in spring and fall, never tried them in mid summer. I'm guessing the same presentations work, just at deeper depths? I see these lakes are stocked with a lot of trout, but do a lot of them last into the summer?

[icefisker]

I fish Long throughout the summer. Typical trout presentations work all season. I have caught some nice trout throughout the entire season.   By august, even the stocked schoolies are usually 12-13".  Long Lake Campground is very popular and a nice place to camp. If you can try for sites 89-90, they are awesome and closest to the lake. 

If you are interested, Bad Medicine Lake is just down the road and you have a better chance of getting a larger trout.  It also provides some awesome scenery! Good luck. 

[JBMasterAngler]

Thanks for the tip on the campsite. I"ll be there during the week, so hopefully they'll be available. Yeah, I was planning on fishing both lakes, as I'm rarely in that area, so I can't pass it up. Sounds like bad medicine is a good bass lake also, how about long? Isn't there also a trout lake inside itasca state park? We'll most likely be visiting the park anyway, so it'd be worth a stop for a few casts. In all honesty, fishing is the only thing I care about, but it looks like there is plenty at the campground to do for the whole family, so it should be a fun trip.

[Chill62]

I have been doing great with catching trout so far this year but not on Long lake.  Fishing has been good and an early morning bite.  We've been slip bobbering it and doing great.  I have been seeing a lot of guys downrigging and they arent' doing as well as I have been. 6-17-19", 9 

[icefisker]

Sorry cant help you on the bass  I dont know any trout lakes inside the park, but newman, crappie, and blacksmith lakes are also close by.  Blue Lake also has trout, but I have never targeted them.  That may be a good sleeper option. I have never fished newman or crappie, but i dont think you can get a very big boat in newman, and crappie is a portage in.  I have fished Blacksmith and you cant get a very big boat in there either, and if there is more than 1 boat there it would be a major pain as it is a long bumpy ride in and not much for parking or turn around. The trout i caught were a bit on the scrawny side, but i did tag a nice 17 in there. 

The campground has plenty to do for the whole family and a really nice swimming beach. There are usually a lot of kiddos running around.

[JBMasterAngler]

Long and Bad Medicine are more than enough lakes, as we'll only be up there a few days. I appreciate all the info. Looks like we'll miss out on the ice cream social though  

[Chill62]

i was out this weekend trout fishing.  Mayfly hatch was going on and the fish were not where we normally would catch them or even same depths.  Got a few big ones but we had to work hard to get them.  Got frusttrated one day switched to a jig and twister tail and hit up shallow for anything that would bite and did amazing on small mouth.  Biggest trout was the girlfriends at 24" average size was around 14-15".  Bass biggest were 19, 18 (2), 17 (4), average size was around that 12-14".