Fishing Frederick Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Frederick Lake falls in Lake County, part of Minnesota. It stands 1,886 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 50 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. About 1.1 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It is high ground by Minnesota standards. Start from Grand Marais, 31 miles down the road. Thunder Bay sits 83 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Frederick Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Treat Frederick Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 64°F in July and bottoms out near 4°F in January. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Frederick Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Wine Lake, 0.6 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Frederick Lake.