Briar Lake Fishing Guide, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Briar Lake sits in Lake County, out in Minnesota. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. At roughly 9 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lake County list. The closest town, Ely, is 34 miles away. For a city, Thunder Bay is 94 miles off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Briar Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Lake County: white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Briar Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 64°F, with January the cold end at about 5°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. On Briar Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Baskatong Lake is 0.9 miles off. Treat access at Briar Lake as something to verify.