Fishing Pickerel Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Within Lake County, Minnesota, you have Pickerel Lake. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. At about 184 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The whole outline is near 3.0 miles, and most of it is walkable. Few waters listed in Lake County are bigger. For a base, Ely sits 9.4 miles out. Babbitt is 20 miles away, with Hoyt Lakes at 35 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Pickerel Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Anyone new to Pickerel Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 65°F and January about 3°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Pickerel Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Overnight stays are possible about 120 yards out, where camping is mapped. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Kemptons Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Pickerel Lake if anything is unclear.