South Sturgeon Lake Fishing in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  South Sturgeon Lake is a Saint Louis County water, in Minnesota. Land around it is rolling bush. With some 199 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 3.0 miles of margin, front to back. Size puts it in the front rank of our Saint Louis County list. For a base, Chisholm sits 13 miles out. After that come Hibbing at 16 miles and Keewatin at 16 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on South Sturgeon Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Read South Sturgeon Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 5°F in January up to 66°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Time your trip to South Sturgeon Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For South Sturgeon Lake in particular, ask before you travel.