Fishing Chorus Lake in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Chorus Lake is one of the Saint Louis County listings for Minnesota. The bank is 1,434 feet above sea level. It covers about 23 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Saint Louis County standards. The closest town, Ely, is 12 miles distant. Beyond it, Babbitt at 25 miles and Hoyt Lakes at 39 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Chorus Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Chorus Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 65°F for July and 2°F for January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Chorus Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Ed Shave Lake is 1.1 miles distant. Signs at Chorus Lake carry more weight than any list.