Slough Lake in Cook County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Slough Lake belongs to Cook County. The bank is 1,860 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 16 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It sits higher than most water we list in Minnesota. The closest town, Grand Marais, is 16 miles away. It is 64 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Slough Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Cook County cover white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Slough Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 63°F in July and bottom out at 5°F in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Slough Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Little Trout Lake, 0.5 miles away. Check the position at Slough Lake before loading the car.