Jake Lake Fishing near Grand Marais, Minnesota

• Overview

  Jake Lake lies within the bounds of Cook County, Minnesota. The surroundings are lake country bush. It measures about 33 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. About 1.1 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. Grand Marais lies 18 miles from the water. It is 62 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Jake Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Cook County: white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Jake Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 63°F and January reads 5°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running late April to mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on Jake Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lux Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Jake Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.