Hairy Lake Fishing in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Lake County, Minnesota, sits Hairy Lake. Height above sea level is 1,916 feet. The water measures roughly 7 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is a small entry by Lake County standards. Supplies mean a trip to Grand Marais, 30 miles off. For a city, Thunder Bay is 78 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hairy Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Lake County records list white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. On Hairy Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 64°F in July and bottom out at 4°F in January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about late April and return around mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It holds true on Hairy Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This sits inside Hairy Lake Primitive Management Area, so read the reserve notices first. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Sora Lake at 0.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Hairy Lake before loading the car.