Pear Lake Fishing near Ely, Minnesota

• Overview

  Pear Lake sits in Saint Louis County, out in Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,109 feet. At about 51 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 1.2 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Ely at 32 miles is the nearest place to stop. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 142 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Pear Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Saint Louis County, recorded fish include yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Pear Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 66°F and January near 4°F on the long-run figures. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On Pear Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Cranberry Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Ask locally about Pear Lake if anything is unclear.