Considering a trip to snowbank. Snowbank only, motor travel. Father son with my eight-year-old. We could do the fishing opener in May or a mid August trip. Anybody have an opinion about time of year for this type of trip and for catching fish on snowbank? Thank you.

8 year olds like August better because of weather and bugs and good swimming. Dads sometimes prefer the fishing in May. Dads almost always prefer happy 8 year olds.

Good advice from Lundojam. Yet, a lot depends on the kid and you know yours best. If it were me and my 12yo it'd be May hands-down.

Couple other thoughts/questions:

-I believe Snowbank can be one of the last lakes in the area to lose its ice. Probably not going to be an issue but a back-up plan (Burntside? something up the Gunflint side?) might be in order if you're planning for early may.

-If you're chasing trout like your username suggests, May would be a pretty big advantage over August.

Do you have to make a decision now? You could always wait until a month or so before the trip to make a final decision. Maybe get a permit for both dates and cancel the one you don't need. You will lose out on the service fee, but if getting a motor permit is difficult then it could be worthwhile to reserve both.

If the weather is warm then a May trip might not be bad at all. If it is a chilly spring, the eight year old might not handle the cold nearly as well. Either way May fishing is better. August would just be better for swimming and fun in the sun.