Fishing at Davis Lake, Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Davis Lake sits within Cook County in Minnesota. It sits at 1,919 feet above sea level. It measures some 338 acres, and wind has room to build across it. Some 5.1 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. On our Cook County list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Grand Marais is 23 miles out. Thunder Bay sits 72 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Davis Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Davis Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 63°F, while January sits near 5°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That shapes the year on Davis Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, North Cone Lake at 1 mile is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Davis Lake locally before you travel.