Fishing at Flattail Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Flattail Lake stands in Lake County, Minnesota. The surface lies 1,867 feet up. Small even by pond standards, it rewards one careful line. Most waters listed here for Lake County are larger. Nearest town is Grand Marais, 29 miles off. Ely is 45 miles and Silver Bay 48 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Flattail Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Lake County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Flattail Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 63°F and January reads 5°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Flattail Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Soaked Lake is 0.5 miles off. For Flattail Lake in particular, ask before you travel.