Lower George Lake Fishing Guide, Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Lower George Lake is set in Cook County, Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,749 feet. About 19 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Compared with other Minnesota water on our list, it sits high. Grand Marais sits 28 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 75 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lower George Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Cook County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Treat Lower George Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 64°F; by January the average is down near 4°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Lower George Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. There are toilets half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Fawn Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Lower George Lake are worth checking on the day.