Fishing at Ely Lake, Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Saint Louis County end of Minnesota holds Ely Lake. The ground round it is rolling bush. At 712 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. At about 7.5 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Few waters listed in Saint Louis County are bigger. The nearest town is Gilbert, 2.7 miles away. It is 163 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Ely Lake

  Recorded soundings reach about 80 feet at the deepest point. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Open biodiversity records for Saint Louis County list yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Ely Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 66°F at the top of summer and 4°F at the bottom of winter. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Expect Ely Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. You can launch: the ramp is half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Deep Lake is 1.4 miles off. Ask locally about Ely Lake if anything is unclear.