Manomin Lake near Ely: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Lake County in Minnesota is where Manomin Lake sits. It sits at 1,329 feet above sea level. At 403 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. Around 5.1 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. Few waters listed in Lake County are bigger. 20 miles away sits Ely, the nearest town. Babbitt follows at 32 miles, then Hoyt Lakes at 47 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Manomin Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Lake County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The near bank of Manomin Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 65°F at the top of summer and 4°F at the bottom of winter. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Manomin Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Found Lake, 1.3 miles out. Confirm access to Manomin Lake locally before you travel.