Hay Lake Fishing near Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota

• Overview

  Hay Lake is one of the Saint Louis County waters in Minnesota. This is rolling bush country. You are 5.7 miles from Aurora. For a city, Thunder Bay is 150 miles off. What else is close: Sabin Lake out at 1.8 miles, Little Mesaba Lake at 3.4 miles, Wynne Lake out at 3.4 miles, East Stephens Settling Basin at 4.2 miles and Lola Lake out at 4.9 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Hay Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Hay Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 65°F and January at 2°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Time your trip to Hay Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Sabin Lake, 1.8 miles out. Treat Hay Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.