Clitherall Lake is a lake in Minnesota, near Otter Tail County.
Clitherall Lake is a lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Clitherall Lake covers about 2,540 acres, reaches a recorded 69 feet and holds about 65,716 acre-feet.
Clitherall Lake is too large to fish all at once, so pick one group of coves and points and stay there long enough to learn what the fish are using.
Fish reported from Clitherall Lake include banded killifish, bigmouth shiner, black bullhead, black crappie, blacknose shiner, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, bowfin, brook stickleback, brown bullhead, cisco, common carp, iowa darter, johnny darter, largemouth bass, logperch, mimic shiner, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, spottail shiner, walleye, weed shiner, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch.
For bass at Clitherall, fish weeds, wood and shade with a spinnerbait, jig or Texas-rigged worm for largemouth, and work a tube, Ned rig or small crankbait across rock and firm points for smallmouth.
For panfish at Clitherall, use a small jig or minnow beside brush for crappie, and fish a worm, cricket or tiny jig near weeds for bluegill and pumpkinseed, and keep a small jig, minnow or worm close to bottom for yellow perch.
For roaming fish at Clitherall, jig a minnow or troll a crankbait along points and deeper edges for walleye.
For large predators at Clitherall, cast a spoon, spinnerbait or swimbait beside weeds for northern pike.
For bottom fishing at Clitherall, fish a worm or small piece of cut bait in quiet water for bullheads, and use corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig for carp.
Other choices at Clitherall include these plans: work a tough soft plastic or cut bait near weeds and wood for bowfin.
At Clitherall, use a small jig, worm or tiny crankbait around rock and firm shorelines for rock bass.
For other cold-water fish at Clitherall, use a tiny jig or small spoon at the depth where cisco are schooling.
Spring at Clitherall is a good time to check warm coves and incoming water, and summer fishing is usually better in cooler, deeper water. Fall at Clitherall can bring fish back to windy points and banks, while winter calls for smaller baits fished slowly.
On a first trip to Clitherall, check one quiet cove, one rocky or firm point and the nearby deep water with a moving lure, then use a jig or worm where you find fish.
A medium spinning rod covers smaller lures at Clitherall, while a heavier rod and stronger leader are better for northern pike.
At Clitherall, pick one cove and the closest point or drop into deep water, then fish that small area well before making a long move.
Not every trip. A better place at Clitherall is where a point, drop-off or group of baitfish gives the fish a reason to stop.
At Clitherall, it shows that a lot of the water sits away from the bank and around the old channel or deep end.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.