Hanson Lake Fishing near Ely, Minnesota

• Overview

  Hanson Lake lies within the bounds of Saint Louis County, Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,407 feet. Surface area runs to about 18 acres — small enough to read in one session. Our Saint Louis County list holds plenty of bigger water. Ely lies 6.4 miles from the water. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 127 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Hanson Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. 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. On Hanson Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 65°F and January near 3°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Hanson Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Twin Lakes at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Hanson Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.