Burns Lake in Itasca County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Burns Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Beyond the shoreline you have rolling bush. Roughly 181 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The margin runs to about 3.7 miles in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Itasca County list. The nearest place of any size is Coleraine, 24 miles away. Cohasset follows at 25 miles, then Grand Rapids at 27 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Burns Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Itasca County include yellow perch, largemouth bass and northern pike. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Fish Burns Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 4°F in January up to 67°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Expect Burns Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Cad Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Burns Lake are worth checking on the day.