Cave Lake Fishing in Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Cave Lake stands in Cook County, Minnesota. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. With some 25 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Compared with other Minnesota water on our list, it sits high. Grand Marais sits 27 miles from here and is the nearest stop. After that come Ely at 53 miles and Silver Bay at 56 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Cave Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Cook County cover white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Cave Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 4°F to 63°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Cave Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Facilities include toilets around 0.9 miles from here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, George Lake is 0.5 miles off. For Cave Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.