Fishing at Timber Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Timber Lake is one of the Lake County listings for Minnesota. It sits at 1,677 feet above sea level. The water covers around 279 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The perimeter runs near 3.4 miles, so plan the walk before you start. It ranks high for size among our Lake County listings. Some 31 miles away sits Grand Marais, the nearest settlement. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 91 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Timber Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Lake County list white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Treat Timber Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 5°F to 63°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Timber Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Frear Lake sits 1 mile off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Timber Lake if anything is unclear.