Fishing at Whiz Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Whiz Lake stands in Lake County, Minnesota. It lies 1,545 feet above sea level. At roughly 22 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. For supplies, Ely is 32 miles out. Further out sit Babbitt (40 miles) and Grand Marais (42 miles). Nearest other option: Bow Lake 0.4 miles away, Fisher Lake a touch under 0.6 miles, Blissful Lake 0.7 miles away, Beaver Lake a touch under 0.8 miles and River Lake 1 mile away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Whiz Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Lake County cover white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Whiz Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 64°F in July and bottom out at 4°F in January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Whiz Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Bow Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Rules at Whiz Lake are worth checking on the day.