Fishing at Ellen Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Ellen Lake sits in Lake County, out in Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,900 feet. On water this small, stealth matters more than range. Our Lake County list holds plenty of bigger water. Silver Bay lies 24 miles from the water. Babbitt follows at 29 miles, then Ely at 31 miles. Close by you have: Eighteen Lake at 0.6 miles, Bine Lake 0.7 miles away, Trappers Lake at 0.9 miles, Odeima Lake 1 mile away and Spear Lake at 1.2 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Ellen Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Lake County include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Ellen Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 4°F and July at about 64°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Ellen Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Eighteen Lake is 0.6 miles off. Treat Ellen Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.