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

• Overview

  Clam Lake is a Lake County water, Minnesota side. Height above sea level is 1,476 feet. The water measures roughly 24 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. 39 miles away sits Ely, the nearest town. It is 86 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. Other water within reach: Canoe Lake 0.4 miles off, Cherry Lake 0.5 miles, Hanson Lake 0.7 miles off, Lunar Lake 0.9 miles and Baltic Lake 1.2 miles off. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Clam Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Lake County names white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Clam Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 4°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan around that when you fish Clam Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Canoe Lake, 0.4 miles away. Signs at Clam Lake carry more weight than any list.