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

• Overview

  Out in Lake County, Minnesota, sits Hop Lake. Height above sea level is 1,614 feet. At about 37 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline comes to about 1.8 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Compared with other Minnesota water on our list, it sits high. Grand Marais sits 36 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Ely is 40 miles away, with Babbitt at 48 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hop Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Lake County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Take Hop Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 4°F and July at about 64°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Hop Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Jump Lake is 0.7 miles off. Confirm access to Hop Lake locally before you travel.