Ragged Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ragged Lake stands in Lake County, Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,873 feet. With some 48 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 1.5 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It sits higher than most water we list in Minnesota. The nearest town is Grand Marais, 30 miles away. Then Ely, 47 miles, and Silver Bay, 53 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Ragged Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Lake County: white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Ragged Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 4°F to 64°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Ragged Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Hairy Lake Primitive Management Area takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Don Lake, 0.5 miles away. For Ragged Lake in particular, ask before you travel.