Smoke Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Smoke Lake lies in Cook County, Minnesota. What surrounds it is pine and birch. The water covers some 163 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 3.0 miles in total. Few waters listed in Cook County are bigger. Grand Marais at 26 miles is the nearest place to stop. Thunder Bay sits 81 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Smoke Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. 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. Species logged across Cook County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The near bank of Smoke Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 5°F to 63°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan any trip to Smoke Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Flame Lake at 0.8 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Smoke Lake before loading the car.