Fishing at Folly Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Folly Lake is one of the Lake County listings for Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,673 feet. The water measures roughly 17 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is high ground by Minnesota standards. The closest town, Silver Bay, is 27 miles distant. Ely lies 35 miles off, Babbitt another 35 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Folly Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Lake County list white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Folly Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 5°F in January up to 64°F in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate figures give an open season running late April to late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Folly Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Scanlon Lake is 1.5 miles distant. None of that is settled for Folly Lake in what we hold.