Bass Lake Fishing in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Bass Lake sits in Saint Louis County, out in Minnesota. This is mixed forest ground. Surface area is around 237 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. There is roughly 3.1 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Size puts it in the front rank of our Saint Louis County list. 16 miles away sits Ely, the nearest town. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 140 miles distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bass Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Saint Louis County: yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Bass Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 2°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan any trip to Bass Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Bear Lake at 2.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Bass Lake should be assumed from this page alone.