Scarp Lake in Lake County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Scarp Lake is a Lake County water, Minnesota side. Elevation runs to 1,772 feet. It measures about 41 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. For a base, Silver Bay sits 25 miles out. It is 101 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Scarp Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Scarp Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 64°F at the top of summer and 5°F at the bottom of winter. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate figures give an open season running late April to late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Expect Scarp Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. A boat ramp sits half a mile away, so trailered boats can get on. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Mound Lake, 0.2 miles away. Where Scarp Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.