Fishing Boys Lake in Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Boys Lake in Cook County, Minnesota. The bank is 1,706 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 24 acres — small enough to read in one session. Compared with other Minnesota water on our list, it sits high. Grand Marais lies 10 miles from the water. Neebing follows at 42 miles, then Westfort at 55 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Boys Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Public occurrence data for Cook County names white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. The county list is broader than any single water. On Boys Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 63°F in July and bottoms out near 6°F in January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Boys Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Launch at Kimbal Lake Boat Ramp, half a mile from the water. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Mink Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Confirm before you fish Boys Lake.