Coo Lake Fishing Guide, Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Saint Louis County, Minnesota, is where Coo Lake sits. The bank gives way to rolling bush. Small at around 19 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Saint Louis County list holds plenty of bigger water. 8.4 miles away sits Ely, the nearest town. Babbitt lies 16 miles off, Hoyt Lakes another 28 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Coo Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Coo Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 2°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. At Coo Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Crab Lake, 1.6 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Coo Lake for certain.