Fishing Olive Lake in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Olive Lake sits in Saint Louis County, out in Minnesota. It lies 1,329 feet above sea level. Around 57 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Shoreline comes to about 1.5 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Ely sits 33 miles from the bank. Babbitt follows at 37 miles, then Parkville at 38 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Olive Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker, rainbow trout and walleye. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Treat Olive Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 4°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Olive Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Mankus Lake sits 2.9 miles off and takes the overflow. For Olive Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.