Fishing at Good Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Good Lake belongs to Lake County, Minnesota. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. Around 180 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Few waters listed in Lake County are bigger. Ely sits 14 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 112 miles distant. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Good Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Good Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 65°F; by January the average is down near 3°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Good Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Hula Lake sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. For Good Lake in particular, ask before you travel.