Link Lake in Lake County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Lake County, Minnesota, sits Link Lake. The bank is 1,447 feet above sea level. With some 40 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. There is roughly 0.9 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. You are 41 miles from Ely. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 85 miles distant. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Link Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Lake County cover white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Link Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 65°F and January near 4°F on the long-run figures. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Link Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. The water borders 1, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Gift Lake is 0.4 miles off. None of that is settled for Link Lake in what we hold.