Fishing Kemptons Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Lake County, Minnesota, sits Kemptons Lake. The ground round it is pine and birch. The water covers some 70 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge runs 1.2 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Start from Ely, 9.6 miles down the road. For a city, Thunder Bay is 116 miles off. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Kemptons Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Lake County: white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Kemptons Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 3°F in January and 65°F in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Kemptons Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. 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. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Pickerel Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Kemptons Lake locally before you travel.