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

• Overview

  Look for Artichoke Lake in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,306 feet. This is sizeable water at about 269 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. The edge runs 2.7 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Size puts it in the front rank of our Saint Louis County list. Some 18 miles away sits Cloquet, the nearest settlement. Minneapolis sits 143 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 Artichoke Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Public occurrence data for Saint Louis County names yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Artichoke Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 66°F on average, January about 6°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Anyone fishing Artichoke Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Schelin Lake sits 1.4 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Artichoke Lake may have changed since it was mapped.