Fishing Cup Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Cup Lake is listed under Lake County, Minnesota. The bank is 1,496 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 14 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Lake County standards. The nearest town is Ely, 41 miles away. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 85 miles distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Cup Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Cup Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 65°F; by January the average is down near 4°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Cup Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Part of this sits inside or beside 3, so read the notices. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Midas Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. For Cup Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.