Pear Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Lake County, Minnesota, this is Pear Lake. It lies 1,594 feet above sea level. The water covers some 28 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Compared with other Minnesota water on our list, it sits high. Nearest place of any size is Ely, 36 miles away. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 89 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Pear Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Lake County: white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Pear Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 64°F and January at 4°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Pear Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. 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 water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Twilight Lake, 0.2 miles out. The position on Pear Lake is worth confirming on the day.