Fishing Redpoll Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Redpoll Lake is a Lake County water, in Minnesota. It sits in rolling bush. It covers about 23 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The edge runs 0.9 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. For supplies, Grand Marais is 41 miles out. Beyond it, Ely at 42 miles and Babbitt at 51 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Redpoll Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Lake County list white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Redpoll Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 4°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Redpoll Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Nectar Lake, 0.6 miles out. What applies at Redpoll Lake may have changed since it was mapped.