Fishing Rattle Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Lake County, Minnesota, this is Rattle Lake. The bank gives way to mixed forest. At about 41 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 1.0 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It is high ground by Minnesota standards. Nearest town is Grand Marais, 38 miles off. Further out sit Ely (41 miles) and Babbitt (50 miles). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Rattle Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Rattle Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 64°F, with January the cold end at about 4°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. At Rattle Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Virgin Lake, 0.7 miles out. Treat access at Rattle Lake as something to verify.