Fishing at Lichen Lake, Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  This water sits in Cook County, Minnesota. It stands 1,778 feet above sea level. At 250 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The perimeter runs near 4.2 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Size puts it in the front rank of our Cook County list. 19 miles away sits Grand Marais, the nearest town. Then Silver Bay, 45 miles, and Ely, 53 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lichen Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Cook County include white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Lichen Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 63°F for July and 5°F for January. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to Lichen 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. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Bouder Lake is 1.2 miles off. Confirm access to Lichen Lake locally before you travel.