Fishing at Arkose Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Arkose Lake sits within Lake County in Minnesota. It sits in lake country bush. Small at around 19 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The nearest town is Ely, 29 miles away. Further out sit Babbitt (39 miles) and Grand Marais (49 miles). Close by you have: Missionary Lake a touch under 0.4 miles, Shallow Lake just 0.5 miles, Trader Lake a touch under 0.8 miles, Explorer Lake just 1 mile and Bedford Lake a touch under 1 mile. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Arkose Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of Arkose Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 4°F to 65°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Time your trip to Arkose Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. The water borders 4, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Missionary Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Arkose Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.