Fishing at Swede Lake, Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Cook County, Minnesota, sits Swede Lake. The ground around here is lake country bush. About 24 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. Nearest place of any size is Grand Marais, 14 miles away. Beyond it, Neebing at 53 miles and Silver Bay at 56 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Swede Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Anyone new to Swede Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 5°F in January up to 63°F in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Swede Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Launching is at Ball Club Lake Public Water Access Site, about half a mile away. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Dane Lake at 0.5 miles is the sensible second choice. The position on Swede Lake is worth confirming on the day.