Ely Lake near Vermilion Bay: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Kenora District, Ontario, is where Ely Lake sits. The setting is lake country bush on every side. With some 69 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 4.6 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Some 3.6 km away sits Vermilion Bay, the nearest settlement. Dryden follows at 50 km, then Kenora at 76 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Ely Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Ely Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -18°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Ely Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A campsite is mapped about 1.1 km away, which makes an early start easier. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Nixon Lake at 1 km is the nearest alternative. Where Ely Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.