Fishing at Rat Lake, Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Rat Lake in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. It stands 1,470 feet above sea level. At roughly 18 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Our Saint Louis County list holds plenty of bigger water. Nearest place of any size is Mountain Iron, 8.1 miles away. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 163 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Rat Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. 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. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Rat Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 66°F and January reads 4°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Rat Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Wagon Wheel Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Ask locally about Rat Lake if anything is unclear.