Grouse Lake Fishing in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Grouse Lake is set in Lake County, Minnesota. The surroundings are mixed forest. It runs to roughly 119 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 2.2 miles keeps the choices simple. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. Babbitt sits 23 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Ely lies 24 miles off, Silver Bay another 29 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Grouse Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Lake County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Grouse Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 64°F at the top of summer and 4°F at the bottom of winter. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Grouse Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Cat Lake, 0.6 miles out. Where Grouse Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.