McKinley Lake near Gilbert: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Saint Louis County in Minnesota is where McKinley Lake sits. The bank is 1,421 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 13 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Saint Louis County standards. Supplies mean a trip to Gilbert, 2.8 miles off. For a city, Thunder Bay is 158 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on McKinley Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Saint Louis County names yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker, rainbow trout and walleye. The county list is broader than any single water. On McKinley Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 65°F on average, January about 3°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on McKinley Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, McKinley Clearwater Pond at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on McKinley Lake before loading the car.