Zitkala Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Zitkala Lake sits in Lake County, out in Minnesota. It sits at 1,512 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 14 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Lake County standards. Ely sits 24 miles from the bank. Thunder Bay sits 103 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Zitkala Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Lake County records list white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Zitkala Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 4°F in January up to 65°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Zitkala Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Briddle Lake is 0.9 miles off. For Zitkala Lake in particular, ask before you travel.