Fishing Circle Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Circle Lake in the Lake County part of Minnesota. It stands 1,289 feet above sea level. It covers about 25 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Head to Ely, 18 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 114 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Circle Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Lake County names white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Circle Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 65°F and January reads 3°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Circle Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. 2 takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Frolic Lake, 0.6 miles out. Rules at Circle Lake are worth checking on the day.