Fishing at Howard Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Howard Lake in Lake County, Minnesota. The water sits 1,601 feet up. Roughly 161 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Bank access stretches around 3.1 miles in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Lake County list. For a base, Grand Marais sits 38 miles out. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 83 miles distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Howard Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Lake County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Howard Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 4°F in January and 64°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan around that when you fish Howard Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Peter Lake, 0.7 miles away. Confirm access to Howard Lake locally before you travel.