Ross Lake Fishing in Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Ross Lake lies in Cook County, in Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,808 feet. Around 37 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The full circuit measures close to 1.1 miles on foot. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. Grand Marais sits 27 miles from the bank. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 72 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Ross Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Cook County cover white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Ross Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 63°F on average, January about 4°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Ross Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Sea Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Ross Lake in particular, ask before you travel.