Fishing at Deep Lake, Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Deep Lake lies in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. It lies 1,381 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 72 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The whole outline is near 1.5 miles, and most of it is walkable. The nearest town is Gilbert, 1.4 miles away. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 162 miles distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Deep Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Saint Louis County list yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Deep Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 66°F and January near 4°F on the long-run figures. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish Deep Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Gill Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Check the position at Deep Lake before loading the car.