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

• Overview

  Lake County in Minnesota is where Organ Lake sits. The water sits 1,736 feet up. At about 43 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. There is roughly 0.9 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It sits higher than most water we list in Minnesota. 33 miles away sits Grand Marais, the nearest town. After that come Silver Bay at 33 miles and Ely at 40 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Organ Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Lake County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Organ Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 64°F and January near 5°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Organ Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Frear Lake at 0.8 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Organ Lake is worth confirming on the day.