Paoli Lake Fishing in Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Paoli Lake, in Cook County. It stands 1,772 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 14 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Cook County standards. Some 28 miles away sits Grand Marais, the nearest settlement. Then Silver Bay, 39 miles, and Ely, 44 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Paoli Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Cook County records list white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Paoli Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 63°F on average, January about 5°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. 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. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan around that when you fish Paoli Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Bollar Lake sits 1.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat Paoli Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.