Tote Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Tote Lake sits within Cook County in Minnesota. This is mixed forest country. The water covers some 31 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 1.2 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It sits higher than most water we list in Minnesota. Some 16 miles away sits Grand Marais, the nearest settlement. Further out sit Neebing (54 miles) and Silver Bay (56 miles). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Tote Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Cook County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Take Tote Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 63°F at the top of summer and 5°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan around that when you fish Tote Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Swan Lake is 0.7 miles off. For Tote Lake in particular, ask before you travel.