Fishing at Soda Lake, Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Soda Lake lies in Cook County, Minnesota. It stands 1,660 feet above sea level. About 21 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. The nearest town is Grand Marais, 28 miles away. Then Silver Bay, 32 miles, and Ely, 45 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Soda Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Cook County cover white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Soda Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 64°F; by January the average is down near 6°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Time your trip to Soda Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. East Fox Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Soda Lake in what we hold.