Fishing at Lake Crellin, Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Saint Louis County end of Minnesota holds Lake Crellin. Everything around it is rolling bush. At about 86 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 1.8 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Ely sits 25 miles from the bank. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 142 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lake Crellin

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Saint Louis County, recorded fish include yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker, rainbow trout and walleye. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Lake Crellin to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 65°F; by January the average is down near 3°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Anyone fishing Lake Crellin regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Astrid Lake sits 1 mile off and takes the overflow. Rules at Lake Crellin are worth checking on the day.