Slumber Lake Fishing Guide, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Slumber Lake lies in Lake County, in Minnesota. The water sits 1,358 feet up. The water covers some 51 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 1.1 miles, small enough to learn in a day. The nearest town is Ely, 12 miles away. Babbitt follows at 23 miles, then Hoyt Lakes at 39 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Slumber Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Slumber Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 3°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Anyone fishing Slumber Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping records toilets within 0.9 miles. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Sourdough Lake, 1 mile out. Treat Slumber Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.