Mine Lake in Lake County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Lake County, Minnesota, sits Mine Lake. The water sits 1,778 feet up. Around 33 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The full circuit measures close to 1.7 miles on foot. Compared with other Minnesota water on our list, it sits high. The town to know is Grand Marais, 34 miles out. After that come Ely at 48 miles and Babbitt at 56 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Mine Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. The county list is broader than any single water. At Mine Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 5°F to 65°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Mine Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Chub Lake, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Mine Lake before loading the car.