Fishing Pine Lake in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Pine Lake in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,391 feet. Roughly 904 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The edge covers about 13 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. It ranks high for size among our Saint Louis County listings. Ely is the closest place, 18 miles off. Beyond it, Babbitt at 21 miles and Aurora at 28 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Pine Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker, rainbow trout and walleye. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Take Pine Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 2°F to 65°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Pine Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Chad Lake sits 2.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Pine Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.