Woodpecker Lake near Grand Marais: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Look for Woodpecker Lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,870 feet. At 9 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cook County list. The nearest town is Grand Marais, 16 miles away. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 53 miles distant. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Woodpecker Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Cook County cover white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Woodpecker Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 63°F and January about 5°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan any trip to Woodpecker Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Spark Lake, 0.7 miles out. Treat access at Woodpecker Lake as something to verify.