Fishing at Louse Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Lake County entry here is Louse Lake, in Minnesota. It sits in lake country bush. At roughly 24 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is high ground by Minnesota standards. Head to Grand Marais, 33 miles away, for anything you forgot. After that come Ely at 41 miles and Silver Bay at 47 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Louse Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Lake County: white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Louse Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 64°F at the top of summer and 4°F at the bottom of winter. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It sets the rhythm of the year at Louse Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Mite Lake is 0.2 miles distant. Where Louse Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.