Schelin Lake Fishing in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, this is Schelin Lake. The ground round it is lake country bush. It runs to roughly 155 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 2.8 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Cloquet sits 17 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 142 miles distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Schelin Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Saint Louis County list yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Schelin Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 6°F in January to roughly 66°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Schelin Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Levindusky Lake at 1.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Schelin Lake.