Merrill Lake Fishing in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Merrill Lake falls inside Saint Louis County. What surrounds it is lake country bush. The nearest place of any size is Keewatin, 13 miles away. Then Hibbing, 15 miles, and Coleraine, 20 miles. Within easy reach: Island Lake 0.6 miles off, Thunderbird Lake near enough 1.1 miles, Finberg Lake 1.4 miles off, Janette Lake near enough 1.5 miles and Bay Lake 2 miles off. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Merrill Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Work Merrill Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 66°F in July and bottom out at 6°F in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Merrill Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Island Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Merrill Lake if anything is unclear.