Kemo Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Kemo Lake stands in Cook County, Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,870 feet. Roughly 192 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 2.7 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. On our Cook County list it sits near the top for size. Grand Marais sits 11 miles from the bank. Further out sit Neebing (50 miles) and Silver Bay (57 miles). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Kemo Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Cook County list white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Kemo Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 63°F and January at 6°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about late April and return around mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Plan any trip to Kemo Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Talus Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Kemo Lake is worth confirming on the day.