Boot Lake Fishing Guide, Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Saint Louis County in Minnesota is where Boot Lake sits. This is pine and birch country. Roughly 312 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Around 4.9 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. It is among the larger waters listed here for Saint Louis County. Ely is the closest town at 13 miles. Further out sit Babbitt (27 miles) and Hoyt Lakes (42 miles). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Boot Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. 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 Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker, rainbow trout and walleye. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Boot Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 3°F to 65°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Boot Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Fairy Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Boot Lake may have changed since it was mapped.