Bit Lake in Lake County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Lake County entry here is Bit Lake, in Minnesota. The surface lies 1,470 feet up. At about 114 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 3.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The nearest town is Ely, 39 miles away. After that come Atikokan at 43 miles and Grand Marais at 50 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bit Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Bit Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 64°F, the coldest about 4°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Bit Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Bock Lake at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Bit Lake as something to verify.