Sunrise Lake Fishing near Coleraine, Minnesota

• Overview

  This water sits in Itasca County, Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,368 feet. With some 29 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. 14 miles away sits Coleraine, the nearest town. Beyond it, Cohasset at 16 miles and Grand Rapids at 17 miles. Round about: Beaver Lake a touch under 0.6 miles, Sand Lake some 0.6 miles off, Little Sand Lake a touch under 1.1 miles, Moonshine Lake some 1.1 miles off and Bee Cee Lake a touch under 1.2 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Sunrise Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Sunrise Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 5°F in January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. At Sunrise Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Beaver Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Sunrise Lake in what we hold.