Fishing at Beetle Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Beetle Lake is listed under Lake County, Minnesota. It lies 1,686 feet above sea level. The water covers some 28 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. It is high ground by Minnesota standards. Babbitt is the closest town at 20 miles. Thunder Bay sits 115 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Beetle Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Lake County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Treat Beetle Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 64°F, while January sits near 4°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Expect Beetle Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Hide Lake is 0.2 miles off. Check the position on Beetle Lake before loading the car.