Swallow Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Swallow Lake stands in Cook County, Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,906 feet. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. Start from Grand Marais, 22 miles down the road. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 66 miles away. Close by you also have: 0.4 miles away is Pillsbery Lake, Moon Lake just 0.9 miles, 1.2 miles away is Misplaced Lake, Larsen Lake just 1.4 miles and 1.4 miles away is Henson Lake. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Swallow Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Cook County list white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Swallow Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 4°F in January and 63°F in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan any trip to Swallow Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Pillsbery Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Ask locally about Swallow Lake if anything is unclear.