East Pope Lake Fishing in Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  East Pope Lake is set in Cook County, Minnesota. The surface lies 1,873 feet up. With some 36 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. A shoreline of some 1.2 miles keeps the choices simple. It sits higher than most water we list in Minnesota. Nearest place of any size is Grand Marais, 25 miles away. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 65 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on East Pope Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Cook County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On East Pope Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 63°F in July and bottoms out near 4°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on East Pope Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. A pier or jetty stands 90 yards away, which helps on a crowded bank. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Portage Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish East Pope Lake.