Sucker Lake in Lake County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Sucker Lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,332 feet. At some 396 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. On our Lake County list it sits near the top for size. Ely lies 23 miles from the water. Then Babbitt, 33 miles, and Hoyt Lakes, 49 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Sucker Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Lake County records list white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Fish Sucker Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 65°F and January reads 4°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Sucker Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. A jetty or pier is mapped about 0.9 miles from here. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Splash Lake, 0.6 miles away. Check the position at Sucker Lake before loading the car.