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

***Fishing Report***

Walleye - Walleye reports that walleye are now scattered throughout the lake. Some anglers were finding active walleyes in 6-10ft of water while throwing paddle tails, bucktails, deep-diving jerkbaits, or slip bobbers with a leech. These anglers were finding them on rocky, wind-blown shorelines and points. Many anglers reported that these fish had crawfish in their stomachs, so naturally, crawfish-colored baits produced the best here. Other anglers found walleyes out on sunken islands or around islands a little deeper, in that 15-20ft range. Anglers finding walleyes out here were mainly using spinner rigs tipped with a leech or a crawler. There were anglers who reported that minnows fished on a jig produced the best results for them, but overall, leeches were the best choice. Hot colors this last weekend were orange/chartreuse, pink, and gold.

Smallmouth Bass - Smallmouth bass are slowing up a little for many anglers now, as smallies are dispersing throughout the lake. While anglers can still find active bass on shorelines while fishing with topwater, chatterbaits, wacky worms, crankbaits, and inline spinners, many anglers are finding bigger bass out on main-lake structure in that 15-20ft of water right now. Bass anglers out here have been drop-shooting straight-tail minnows and urchin baits to catch bass. Some of the bigger bass anglers have been finding out that the bass have been suspended just off the structure, about 10-20ft of water. Large Cisco-colored swimbaits, fished on a heavy 3/8-1/2oz jig, have been deadly for these fish. 

Panfish - Crappie anglers continue to report good crappie fishing on Ely area lakes during the evening hours in 6-12ft of water. It’s important to note that anglers are often catching these crappies 1-3ft below the surface while throwing beetle spins, jig/twisters, or small minnow baits. Sunfish anglers continue to keep it really simple by fishing with small leeches or red worms under a bobber in and around weedbeds in the 5-12ft range. 

Pike - Pike anglers reported a slow bite this last week as water temperatures continue to rise to temperatures big pike don’t like. On the other hand, pike in that 30” class and down were a common catch for anglers. Large spoons, large swimbaits, and even large topwater baits were all very effective at triggering these pike. River mouths and weedbeds in that 8-12ft of water were the areas to focus on pike

Stream Trout - Stream trout anglers continue to find plenty of active trout on area stream trout lakes. Anglers continue to mainly fish with cowbells, tipped with small brightly colored minnow baits, about 10-20ft down, while trolling over deep water. Anglers fishing from shore continue to have good luck catching trout with a nightcrawler, fished under a bobber about 10-15ft down. This bite has been best in the early morning hours or late evening hours for these anglers. 

Lake Trout - Lake trout anglers reported mixed results over the past week. This is not uncommon at this time of year, as the thermocline begins to form over deeper water. Anglers fishing with downriggers reported the best luck in the 30-40ft range. Large cisco colored trolling spoons did best out here. Anglers fishing from canoes or without downriggers struggled. These anglers mainly vertically jigged with heavy tubes, squid tails, and bucktails over water depths ranging from 40-80ft.