Mashkenode Lake Fishing in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Saint Louis County in Minnesota is where Mashkenode Lake sits. The water sits 1,394 feet up. With some 122 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 2.8 miles of margin, front to back. For a base, Parkville sits 2.5 miles out. Then Mountain Iron, 2.9 miles, and Virginia, 3.4 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Mashkenode Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Mashkenode Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 66°F at the top of summer and 5°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It sets the rhythm of the year at Mashkenode Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Manganika Lake is 1.1 miles distant. Treat Mashkenode Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.