Fishing Kawishiwi Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Lake County, Kawishiwi Lake is a Minnesota water. The water sits 1,637 feet up. At some 389 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Some 7.1 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It ranks high for size among our Lake County listings. The closest town, Ely, is 35 miles distant. Beyond it, Grand Marais at 37 miles and Silver Bay at 39 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Kawishiwi Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Lake County list white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Work Kawishiwi Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 64°F and January about 5°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to Kawishiwi Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is camping recorded roughly 170 yards off. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Watonwan Lake at 1.3 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Kawishiwi Lake in what we hold.