Fishing at William Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  William Lake lies in Itasca County, in Minnesota. The water sits 1,358 feet up. Surface area runs to about 24 acres — small enough to read in one session. The nearest place of any size is Coleraine, 17 miles away. Cohasset lies 17 miles off, Grand Rapids another 19 miles. Nearest other option: Fly Lake roughly 0.5 miles, Ruby Lake 1.2 miles off, Little Ruby Lake roughly 1.2 miles, Pickerel Lake 1.3 miles off and Snowshoe Lake roughly 1.6 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on William Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Itasca County: yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of William Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 4°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on William Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Fly Lake, 0.5 miles away. Where William Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.