Ely Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Ely Lake, in Le Sueur County. Elevation runs to 968 feet. The water covers some 56 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 1.3 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. On size it sits at the modest end of our Le Sueur County list. Le Center lies 4 miles from the water. After that come Le Sueur at 6.3 miles and Saint Peter at 10 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Ely Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Le Sueur County records list common carp, bluegill, largemouth bass and walleye among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. Fish Ely Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 71°F and January near 11°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Ely Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Rice Lake, 0.6 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Ely Lake for certain.