Hoist Lake in Lake County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake County, Minnesota, is where Hoist Lake sits. What surrounds it is pine and birch. The water covers some 115 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 2.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is high ground by Minnesota standards. The nearest town is Silver Bay, 23 miles away. It is 103 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Hoist Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Hoist Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 64°F, while January sits near 5°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Hoist Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Scott Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Hoist Lake should be assumed from this page alone.