Fishing at Ray Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Lake County, Minnesota, is where Ray Lake sits. Height above sea level is 1,516 feet. At about 69 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Bank access stretches around 1.3 miles in total. Start from Grand Marais, 39 miles down the road. Then Ely, 42 miles, and Babbitt, 51 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Ray Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Ray Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 4°F in January and 65°F in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan any trip to Ray Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Cavity Lake is 0.6 miles off. The position on Ray Lake is worth confirming on the day.