Fishing Bakekana Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Bakekana Lake lies within the bounds of Lake County, Minnesota. It sits in pine and birch. The water covers some 65 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.9 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. The nearest town is Ely, 34 miles away. After that come Grand Marais at 43 miles and Babbitt at 43 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Bakekana Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The shape of Bakekana Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 64°F and January about 4°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Bakekana Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 5 takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Capote Lake sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Bakekana Lake should be assumed from this page alone.