Twin Lakes Fishing near Ely, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Saint Louis County, Twin Lakes is a Minnesota water. It stands 1,365 feet above sea level. Around 196 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. At about 4.6 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. It ranks high for size among our Saint Louis County listings. Supplies mean a trip to Ely, 5.8 miles off. Babbitt is 18 miles away, with Hoyt Lakes at 33 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Twin Lakes

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Saint Louis County records list yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Treat Twin Lakes as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 3°F to 65°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Twin Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Hanson Lake, 0.7 miles away. What applies at Twin Lakes may have changed since it was mapped.