Cranberry Lake in Saint Louis County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cranberry Lake sits within Saint Louis County in Minnesota. The bank gives way to pine and birch. Surface area is around 97 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The whole outline is near 1.5 miles, and most of it is walkable. For supplies, Ely is 32 miles out. For a city, Thunder Bay is 142 miles off. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Cranberry Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker, rainbow trout and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Cranberry Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 66°F, with January the cold end at about 4°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Time your trip to Cranberry Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Pear Lake, 0.4 miles away. Check the position at Cranberry Lake before loading the car.