John Lake Fishing Guide, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  This water sits in Lake County, Minnesota. The surroundings are rolling bush. The water measures roughly 16 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Ely at 21 miles is the nearest place to stop. It is 109 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. Within a short drive: Edward Lake some 2.1 miles off, Mayfly Lake within 2.3 miles, Exploit Lake some 2.5 miles off, Quadga Lake within 2.5 miles and Bog Lake some 2.7 miles off. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on John Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Take John Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 4°F in January to roughly 64°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. John Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Edward Lake, 2.1 miles away. Nothing on John Lake should be assumed from this page alone.