Little Iron Lake Fishing in Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Little Iron Lake is set in Cook County, Minnesota. It stands 1,850 feet above sea level. At about 113 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With 3.4 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Cook County list. Grand Marais sits 26 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Then Ely, 57 miles, and Neebing, 57 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Little Iron Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Cook County cover white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Little Iron Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 4°F in January up to 63°F in July. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish Little Iron Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Benning Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Little Iron Lake is worth confirming on the day.