Whisky Jack Lake Fishing near Ely, Minnesota

• Overview

  Whisky Jack Lake is set in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. Everything around it is lake country bush. This is a pocket water of some 24 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Ely is the closest town at 14 miles. For a city, Thunder Bay is 122 miles off. Nearby alternatives: Home Lake 0.7 miles away, Angleworm Lake sits 1.4 miles out, Gull Lake 1.6 miles away, Mudhole Lake sits 1.8 miles out and Nightingale Lake 1.9 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Whisky Jack Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Saint Louis County: yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Whisky Jack Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 3°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan any trip to Whisky Jack Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Home Lake, 0.7 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Whisky Jack Lake for certain.