Basswood Lake near Ely: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Lake County in Minnesota is where Basswood Lake sits. The country here is lake country bush. Ely is the closest place, 19 miles off. Then Babbitt, 31 miles, and Atikokan, 46 miles. Close by you have: Valley Lake within 2.5 miles, Acorn Lake at about 4 miles, Nest Lake within 4.3 miles, Burke Lake at about 4.4 miles and McNaught Lake within 4.6 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Basswood Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Lake County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Basswood Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 65°F; by January the average is down near 3°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan any trip to Basswood Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Valley Lake, 2.5 miles out. For Basswood Lake in particular, ask before you travel.