Reid Lake Fishing Guide, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Reid Lake belongs to Lake County. What surrounds it is mixed forest. It runs to roughly 164 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The margin runs to about 5.7 miles in total. Few waters listed in Lake County are bigger. Atikokan lies 34 miles from the water. Ely follows at 36 miles, then Babbitt at 49 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Reid Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Reid Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 3°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. From about late April to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Reid Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Woodside Lake at 1.6 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Reid Lake may have changed since it was mapped.