Fishing Maude Lake in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Maude Lake stands in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. Around the bank it is rolling bush. With some 98 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. There is roughly 2.1 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. You are 27 miles from Ely. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 144 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Maude Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in 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. On Maude Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 65°F; by January the average is down near 3°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Maude Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Astrid Lake, 1.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Maude Lake.