Olio Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Cook County, Minnesota, this is Olio Lake. The land about it is lake country bush. This is a pocket water of some 9 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cook County list. Grand Marais sits 27 miles from the bank. Beyond it, Ely at 48 miles and Silver Bay at 50 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Olio Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Cook County: white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Olio Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 63°F; by January the average is down near 5°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That shapes the year on Olio Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Uva Lake is 0.4 miles off. Treat Olio Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.