Scotch Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Lake County end of Minnesota holds Scotch Lake. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. This is a pocket water of some 12 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Lake County are larger. For supplies, Ely is 34 miles out. Grand Marais lies 40 miles off, Babbitt another 42 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Scotch Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Take Scotch Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 64°F and January reads 4°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Scotch Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. 1 covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Caveman Lake, 0.4 miles out. Ask locally about Scotch Lake if anything is unclear.