Fishing Riddle Lake in Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Lake County end of Minnesota holds Riddle Lake. The surface lies 1,604 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 9 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Lake County standards. Ely is the closest place, 34 miles off. Further out sit Grand Marais (42 miles) and Babbitt (43 miles). No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Riddle Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Lake County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Riddle Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 64°F and January about 4°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. On Riddle Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Part of this sits inside or beside 1, so read the notices. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Balmy Lake at 0.3 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Riddle Lake carry more weight than any list.