Fishing Wichita Lake in Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Wichita Lake, in Cook County. Elevation runs to 1,837 feet. It covers about 19 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. Start from Grand Marais, 28 miles down the road. Further out sit Ely (47 miles) and Silver Bay (49 miles). Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Wichita Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Wichita Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 63°F and January about 5°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Wichita Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Herb Lake, 0.1 miles away. Check the position at Wichita Lake before loading the car.