Fishing at Black Lake, Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Within Saint Louis County, Minnesota, you have Black Lake. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. The water covers some 116 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 2.1 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Mountain Iron sits 30 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 160 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Black Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Saint Louis County, recorded fish include yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Black Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 5°F to 65°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Black Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Susan Lake, 1 mile away. The position on Black Lake is worth confirming on the day.