Beta Lake Fishing in Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Cook County, Minnesota, this is Beta Lake. The surroundings are pine and birch. At 18 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It sits higher than most water we list in Minnesota. The closest town, Grand Marais, is 23 miles distant. It is 68 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Beta Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Cook County include white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. The county list is broader than any single water. On Beta Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 63°F and January at 4°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Beta Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A camping area sits within 0.9 miles of here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Creeper Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. For Beta Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.