Canoe Lake Fishing near Ely, Minnesota

• Overview

  Canoe Lake lies in Lake County, Minnesota. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. About 18 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Ely at 39 miles is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 87 miles distant. Others within reach: Clam Lake 0.4 miles off, Cherry Lake roughly 0.6 miles, Lunar Lake 1 mile off, Hanson Lake roughly 1.2 miles and Lake of the Clouds 1.2 miles off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Canoe Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch and northern pike. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Take Canoe Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 4°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Canoe Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Clam Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Canoe Lake for certain.