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

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Cemetery Lake, in Itasca County. Height above sea level is 1,319 feet. At 12 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Itasca County. Head to Coleraine, 33 miles away, for anything you forgot. The big place round here is Fargo, 159 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Cemetery Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Cemetery Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 66°F; the cold one sits at 4°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Cemetery Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Big Fork Public Water Access Site gives a made launch, half a mile off. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Bustic Lake at 1.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Cemetery Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.