Susan Lake Fishing near Mountain Iron, Minnesota

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Susan Lake, in Saint Louis County. Beyond the shoreline you have rolling bush. Surface area runs to roughly 285 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. With 3.2 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Few waters listed in Saint Louis County are bigger. Mountain Iron lies 31 miles from the water. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 160 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Susan Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Saint Louis County include yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Susan Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 5°F in January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Susan Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Elbow Lake (S) Public Water Access Site sits about half a mile away and carries the launch. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Black Lake, 1 mile away. Rules at Susan Lake are worth checking on the day.