Fishing at Stone Lake, Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Stone Lake lies in Saint Louis County, in Minnesota. The ground around here is lake country bush. The water covers some 224 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge runs 2.9 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Size puts it in the front rank of our Saint Louis County list. Hoyt Lakes is the closest place, 12 miles off. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 137 miles distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Stone Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Saint Louis County names yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Read Stone Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 4°F to 64°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Expect Stone Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Black Mallard Lake is 1.2 miles off. Rules at Stone Lake are worth checking on the day.