Fishing at Exploit Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Lake County, Exploit Lake is a Minnesota water. The surface lies 1,512 feet up. Small at around 8 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Lake County are larger. You are 20 miles from Ely. For a city, Thunder Bay is 109 miles off. This one is safely inside the county line. There is room enough here for more than one party without crowding.

• Where to Fish on Exploit Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Exploit Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 64°F, while January sits near 4°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan any trip to Exploit Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. 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. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Myth Lake, 0.5 miles away. Confirm before you fish Exploit Lake.