Fishing at Raft Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Raft Lake is an Itasca County water, Minnesota side. The water sits 1,368 feet up. At 15 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Most waters listed here for Itasca County are larger. Nearest town is Cohasset, 22 miles off. Then Coleraine, 22 miles, and Grand Rapids, 24 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Raft Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name yellow perch, largemouth bass and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Raft Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 67°F and January at 4°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. At Raft Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Telephone Lake, 0.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Raft Lake in what we hold.