Calico Lake in Lake County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Calico Lake is a Lake County water, in Minnesota. It lies 1,516 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Lake County standards. Ely sits 37 miles from here and is the nearest stop. It is 88 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Calico Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Lake County cover white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. The county list is broader than any single water. At Calico Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 64°F and January about 4°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan any trip to Calico Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Barter Lake at 0.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Calico Lake as something to verify.