Fishing at Sourdough Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Sourdough Lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,348 feet. The water measures roughly 21 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. The nearest town is Ely, 12 miles away. Babbitt is 23 miles away, with Hoyt Lakes at 39 miles. Others within reach: Slumber Lake within 1 mile, Madden Lake sits 1.7 miles out, Dan Lake within 1.8 miles, Pea Soup Lake sits 2 miles out and Wedge Lake within 2.1 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Sourdough Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Sourdough Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 65°F and January near 3°F on the long-run figures. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. That is the shape of the year on Sourdough Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Slumber Lake is 1 mile distant. Confirm access to Sourdough Lake locally before you travel.