Fishing Williams Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Lake County, Minnesota, sits Williams Lake. It lies 1,427 feet above sea level. At about 191 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline length is close to 7.2 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. On our Lake County list it sits near the top for size. Atikokan is the closest town at 31 miles. Thunder Bay sits 96 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Williams Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Williams Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 2°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Williams Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Payne Lake is 1.1 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Williams Lake.