Tomash Lake near Grand Marais: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Out in Cook County, Minnesota, sits Tomash Lake. What surrounds it is rolling bush. Surface area is around 95 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The whole outline is near 1.5 miles, and most of it is walkable. It sits higher than most water we list in Minnesota. The nearest place of any size is Grand Marais, 17 miles away. After that come Silver Bay at 50 miles and Ely at 57 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Tomash Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Cook County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Tomash Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 63°F, while January sits near 6°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Tomash Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Toilets are 0.9 miles away, which matters on a long session. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Cascade Lake is 1.1 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Tomash Lake.