Image Lake Fishing in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Lake County, Minnesota, sits Image Lake. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. Roughly 48 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. About 1.1 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It sits higher than most water we list in Minnesota. 39 miles away sits Ely, the nearest town. Thunder Bay sits 86 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Image Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Image Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 4°F and July at about 64°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Anyone fishing Image Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Glitter Lake is 0.5 miles off. Confirm access to Image Lake locally before you travel.