Snowshoe Lake Fishing near Coleraine, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Itasca County end of Minnesota holds Snowshoe Lake. The land about it is lake country bush. Roughly 27 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Coleraine lies 16 miles from the water. For a city, Fargo is 158 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water. Regulars know where the fish sit; visitors have to find out.

• Where to Fish on Snowshoe Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Itasca County, recorded fish include yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Snowshoe Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 67°F and January about 5°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Snowshoe Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. The closest car park is 0.9 miles away, so pack accordingly. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Little Ruby Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Snowshoe Lake should be assumed from this page alone.