Ward Lake Fishing in Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Ward Lake belongs to Cook County. The surface lies 1,470 feet up. Roughly 38 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 1.0 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. The nearest town is Grand Marais, 14 miles away. Further out sit Silver Bay (41 miles) and Ely (59 miles). No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Ward Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Cook County include white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Ward Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 64°F, with January the cold end at about 9°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Ward Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Bigsby Lake sits 1 mile off and takes the overflow. For Ward Lake in particular, ask before you travel.