Crosby Lofts
Crosby
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The flooded iron-mine pits around Crosby and Ironton are now lakes. Portsmouth Mine Lake, 121 acres and 450 feet deep, is the deepest lake entirely within Minnesota, and the DNR stocks it and the other pit lakes with trout. Many of the pits sit in the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.
Serpent Lake is on Crosby's edge, Bay Lake is south of Deerwood, and Farm Island Lake, about 2,000 acres, lies between Deerwood and Aitkin. Lodging is mostly campgrounds and cabins near the Cuyuna trails, with a few cabin resorts on Bay Lake and Farm Island.
I. The lodges
Where to stay
Stay in Crosby or Ironton for the trails and the trout pits, on Bay Lake for a full-service resort, or on Farm Island for a quieter cabin resort.
12 places to stay
Crosby, Ironton & the mine lakes
Campgrounds, cabins and lofts in Crosby, Ironton and Cuyuna, near the mine-pit lakes of the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area and Serpent Lake.
Cuyuna Cabin Collection
Crosby
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Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area (Portsmouth Campground and yurts)
Ironton
From $24–$80 / night · year not stated
Cuyuna Cove
Crosby
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Cuyuna Crossing
Crosby
From $179 / night · year not stated
Cuyuna Mountain Bike Campground (City of Cuyuna)
Cuyuna
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Cuyuna Range Campground
Crosby
From $57–$65 / night · year not stated
Fools Lake Campground
Crosby
From $35 / night · year not stated
Ironton Island
Ironton
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Old Iron Camp
Ironton
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Red Rider Resort
Crosby
From $115–$199 / night · year not stated
True North Basecamp
Crosby
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4 places to stay
Deerwood & Bay Lake
Resorts on Bay Lake and the smaller lakes around Deerwood, south-east of Crosby.
Camp Holiday Resort and Campground
Deerwood
From $880–$7,250 / week · 2026
Cuyuna Lakes Stay
Deerwood
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Ruttger's Bay Lake Resort
Deerwood
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Woodland Beach Resort
Deerwood
From $349–$1,279 / night · 2027
3 places to stay
Farm Island & Aitkin
Resorts and campgrounds on Farm Island Lake, between Deerwood and Aitkin.
Farm Island Lake Resort & Campground
Aitkin
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Loaf 'N Leisure Resort
Aitkin
From $3,500 / season · year not stated
Water's Edge Resort on Farm Island Lake (also Summer Breeze Resort)
Aitkin
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II. The almanac
Seasons at a glance
- May 9, 2026Walleye, pike, lake trout and stream-trout lake seasons open.
- May 23Bass harvest opens.
- September 30Summer lake trout season closes.
- October 31Summer stream-trout season on designated lakes closes.
- January 16, 2027Winter trout season opens on designated lakes.
- February 28, 2027Walleye, sauger and pike seasons close.
- March 1, 2027Every fish house must be off the ice by midnight.
Fishing dates are from the DNR's 2026 regulations.
III. Regulations
Fishing rules
2026–27 season (May 9, 2026 – February 28, 2027)
- Walleye and sauger season: May 9, 2026 – February 28, 2027. 6 combined, only one walleye over 20 inches. Farm Island Lake: release every walleye from 16 through 19 inches.
- Northern pike (North-central Zone): 10 in possession, not more than 2 over 26 inches; release every pike from 22 through 26 inches. Big and East Big Rabbit lakes: release every pike from 24 through 36 inches; 3 in possession, only one over 36.
- Stream trout in designated trout lakes: May 9 – October 31, then January 16 – March 31, 2027. 5 combined, no more than 3 over 16 inches. One line only, no live minnows, and a trout stamp is required.
- Lake trout in Pennington, Sagamore and Yawkey mines and the Mahnomen mine with Alstead and Arco: 20-inch minimum, 1 in possession. Season May 9 – September 30, then January 16 – March 31, 2027.
- Bass: catch-and-release only from March 1 to May 22, then 6 combined from May 23. Smallmouth go back to catch-and-release from September 14.
- Fish houses must be off the ice by midnight on March 1, 2027.
From the DNR's 2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations: inland seasons, stream-trout lake seasons, the North-central pike zone, and the special regulations for Farm Island, Big and East Big Rabbit and the Cuyuna mine lakes. Bay and Serpent lakes have no special regulation in the 2026 booklet. Check the DNR's designated trout lake list before fishing a pit lake.
IV. Asked at the dock
Questions people ask
Do you need a trout stamp to fish the Cuyuna mine lakes?
Yes, on the designated trout lakes: a Minnesota trout and salmon stamp plus a fishing license. Only one line is allowed and live minnows are banned.
How deep is Portsmouth Mine Lake?
About 450 feet, on 121 acres, which makes it the deepest lake entirely within Minnesota.
Sources and photo credits
Photos: Portsmouth 019, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0; Clear Lake in Aitkin, Minnesota, Lorie Shaull, CC BY 2.0.
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