Fishing Spike Lake in Koochiching County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Spike Lake falls in Koochiching County, part of Minnesota. The water sits 1,322 feet up. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Koochiching County are larger. Keewatin lies 38 miles from the water. Chisholm follows at 39 miles, then Hibbing at 40 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Spike Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Spike Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 66°F, with January the cold end at about 4°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Spike Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. You can launch: the ramp is 0.9 miles away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Shine Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Spike Lake as something to verify.