Jimmy Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Jimmy Lake falls inside Lake County. The water sits 1,581 feet up. At about 30 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 1.1 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It sits higher than most water we list in Minnesota. Supplies mean a trip to Grand Marais, 36 miles off. It is 78 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Jimmy Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Lake County records list white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Jimmy Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 65°F and January about 5°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It sets the rhythm of the year at Jimmy Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Flint Lake, 0.4 miles away. For Jimmy Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.