Acorn Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Lake County, Minnesota. It sits at 1,339 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 12 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Lake County standards. Ely at 18 miles is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, Babbitt at 30 miles and Hoyt Lakes at 46 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Acorn Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Acorn Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 4°F in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Acorn Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Wind Lake is 1.6 miles off. Where Acorn Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.