Long Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,339 feet. Around 106 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. There is roughly 2.0 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. The closest town, Hermantown, is 8.5 miles distant. After that come Proctor at 12 miles and Arnold at 12 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Saint Louis County list yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Work Long Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 66°F; by January the average is down near 6°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It sets the rhythm of the year at Long Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Caribou Lake, 2.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Long Lake are worth checking on the day.