Belly Lake Fishing near Grand Marais, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Belly Lake falls inside Cook County. Elevation runs to 1,929 feet. This is a pocket water of some 15 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. Grand Marais at 14 miles is the nearest place to stop. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 68 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Belly Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Cook County cover white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Belly Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 6°F and July at about 63°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Belly Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Vireo Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Belly Lake.