Fishing Report

When is the best time to go fishing?  Here in the north woods, every day is the best day.  Our area contains a wide range of lakes with varied depths, shoreline structures, and a wide range of fish species.  Seasoned anglers know success requires patience and a willingness to try different techniques.  If you have a youngster in the group, they will most likely catch the biggest fish - it always happens.  So, maybe no technique is a good strategy too.  For those interested in learning about lake structure, water quality, or creel surveys, we encourage you to visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Lake Finder page.  Area lakes will either be found in St. Louis or Lake County.  Minnesota Fishing Regulations

***Ice Out Report***

Ice is coming off the lakes west of Ely right now. Lake Vermillion, Clear Lake, Robertson Lake and much of Birch Lake (south of Ely) is either completely ice free or almost ice free. With as much as 2” of rain forecasted by Wednesday next week 4/29, we expect ice out on many more lakes.

No worries of ice-covered lakes for the fishing opener in the Ely area; in fact, if you have a cabin in the Ely area, next weekend would likely be a good weekend to put the dock in. As usual, the further east you plan to go for fishing opener (east of Snowbank Lake), the greater the chance you may run into ice in the BWCA

MNDNR has started netting and stripping walleyes on Lake Vermillion’s Pike River. Expect that to wrap up sometime next week.

***Live Bait Status***

Trappers are still waiting for many of their small ponds to open up and start warming up so the minnows will start running and the leeches will get active. With water levels a little on the low side right now, rain will only help to raise the ponds up, warm the water or get the last of the ice off the ponds. All good things for the minnow trappers. We have yet to receive any minnows from our trappers, but this is normal. Often, minnows and leeches really start moving and trapping the week of the fishing opener.

***Lake Status***

Shagawa Lake public access on April 22nd, 2026, in the afternoon, after a warm 75-degree day; had rotten ice that is breaking up on the main lake while open water sits right at the landing. This is the sign that spring is here and open water fishing season is right around the corner in the Ely MN area near the BWCA.

Fall Lake public access on April 21st, 2026 on a sunny warm day. The ice is coming off with open water right at the landing and the main lake still holding some ice further out. Zero worries here about having ice for the 2026 Minnesota Fishing Opener.