Clearwater Bay Fishing in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, this is Clearwater Bay. This is rolling bush country. It measures some 840 acres, and wind has room to build across it. Few waters listed in Saint Louis County are bigger. Some 41 miles away sits Ely, the nearest settlement. Atikokan is 46 miles and Fort Frances 48 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Clearwater Bay

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Slack water is dead water on a place like this. Reed and marsh margins hold fish through the moving hours. Saint Louis County records list yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker, rainbow trout and walleye among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. The shape of Clearwater Bay rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 5°F to 66°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Time your trip to Clearwater Bay by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Sand Point Lake, 1.7 miles out. Signs at Clearwater Bay carry more weight than any list.