Low Lake Fishing near Ely, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Low Lake in the Saint Louis County part of Minnesota. Land around it is mixed forest. This is sizeable water at about 286 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Around 5.2 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. It is among the larger waters listed here for Saint Louis County. Ely lies 5.1 miles from the water. Beyond it, Babbitt at 19 miles and Hoyt Lakes at 34 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Low Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Saint Louis County: yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Low Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 3°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Anyone fishing Low Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Hobo Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Low Lake may have changed since it was mapped.