Ellen Lake Fishing near Osakis, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Ellen Lake falls inside Pope County. Height above sea level is 1,371 feet. Supplies mean a trip to Osakis, 8.3 miles off. Fargo is the closest city, 108 miles away. Within easy reach: 1.7 miles out stands English Grove Lake, Burroughs Lake at 1.7 miles, 2.9 miles out stands Ellen Lake, Westport Lake at 3.5 miles and 3.5 miles out stands Kuntz Lake. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Ellen Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Pope County include largemouth bass, common carp and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Ellen Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 9°F in January and 71°F in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Ellen Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try English Grove Lake, 1.7 miles away. What applies at Ellen Lake may have changed since it was mapped.