Jackfish Lake Fishing near Ely, Minnesota

• Overview

  Jackfish Lake is a Saint Louis County water, Minnesota side. The surroundings are mixed forest. It measures about 202 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Some 3.7 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. On our Saint Louis County list it sits near the top for size. Some 17 miles away sits Ely, the nearest settlement. For a city, Thunder Bay is 116 miles off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Jackfish Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Saint Louis County, recorded fish include yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At Jackfish Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 65°F and January reads 3°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Jackfish Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. 2 takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Sauna Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Jackfish Lake as something to verify.