Tee Lake Fishing near Ely, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Tee Lake in the Saint Louis County part of Minnesota. The country here is lake country bush. Roughly 38 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 2.0 miles keeps the choices simple. You are 6.8 miles from Ely. Beyond it, Babbitt at 20 miles and Hoyt Lakes at 35 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Tee Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. 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. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Tee Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 65°F and January near 2°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Tee Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Sletten Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Tee Lake if anything is unclear.