Lonely Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Lonely Lake in Cook County, Minnesota. The bank is 1,703 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 11 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Cook County are larger. Grand Marais is the closest town at 30 miles. Ely follows at 54 miles, then Silver Bay at 60 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lonely Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Cook County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Lonely Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 63°F, with January the cold end at about 4°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Lonely Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Trip Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Lonely Lake before loading the car.