Big Lake Fishing Guide, Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Big Lake stands in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. It sits at 1,683 feet above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 783 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. At about 7.3 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Few waters listed in Saint Louis County are bigger. 13 miles away sits Babbitt, the nearest town. Thunder Bay sits 134 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Big Lake

  Survey data gives a maximum of roughly 32 feet. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Big Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 64°F in July and bottom out at 3°F in January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Big Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Swamp Lake is 1.5 miles distant. Check the position on Big Lake before loading the car.