Ramshead Lake

Ramshead Lake covers about 553 acres in the La Croix district of St. Louis County, northwest of the Moose and Little Indian Sioux River entry points. Getting there means a portage rated difficult in either direction, whether coming from Lamb Lake or up through the Nina Moose River corridor, which keeps this from being a casual add-on to a trip.

The lake is shallow from shore to shore, never dropping past 10 feet, so there's no deep basin here the way there is on most lakes this size. That even, shallow water supports heavy weed growth and warms up faster in summer than the deeper lakes nearby.

Yellow perch turn up in big numbers and are the lake's most reliable catch. Northern pike grow to real size here, averaging around 29 inches, some of the larger fish reported in the area. Walleye and white sucker round out the fishery.

Six campsites are spread around the lake, enough room to find one even though the demanding portages in keep the traffic here light.

Ramshead Lake suits anglers willing to work for a shot at big pike and steady perch fishing rather than paddlers looking for an easy lake to pass through.