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
July 8, 2025
Walleye - Walleye have been settling into their classic summer patterns like weedlines, sunken islands, windy shorelines and edge of points. Crawlers have been hot, hot, hot lately with many anglers reporting the best bite happening on crawlers. Spinner rigs pulled with bottom bouncers or jig and half a crawler have been getting the job done. Best depth has been 10-15ft of water with firetiger, gold and pink continuing to be the must have colors.
Smallmouth - Early morning topwater bite remains strong on many of the area's best smallmouth lakes. Anglers have been working shorelines with downed trees and large boulders for the best bite. Once the sun gets up anglers switch to subsurface bait like square bills, chatterbaits, wacky worms and Ned rigs to keep catching smallies. Walleye anglers have reported that smallies have begun moving out to sunken islands now. Majority of smallies are being caught in 10ft of water and less.
Panfish - Crappies continue to be found in shallow weed beds. Isolated lily pads have been holding crappies as well as coontail clumps and downed trees. 2” twisters and other soft plastics have been getting the job done for anglers. Sunfish bite remains strong too for many anglers. Sunfish are being found shallow in wild rice beds and weedbeds. Small leeches, green crawlers, angleworms and wax worms, all fished under a bobber, have been very effective on the sunfish.
Stream Trout - Stream trout anglers seemed to have taken the week off as stream trout reports cooled off. Still, anglers that went out looking for rainbows reported good fishing for them. Many anglers reported finding rainbows on the bottom, with a night crawler floated off the bottom with a marshmallow or a shot of air. Trolling cowbells, with small minnow baits or small trolling spoons has also been very effective.
Lake Trout - Trolling season has started for lake trout anglers in the Ely area. Majority of lake trout anglers are setting down riggers 30-50ft down and trolling large trolling spoons over deep water. Anglers fishing in the BWCA are drifting over deep water while trolling with keel sinkers and trolling spoons, in 30-80ft of water.
Pike - Large pike remain elusive for anglers this last week as large pike out over deep water chasing ciscos. Smaller pike remain active in shallow bays, weedlines and river mouths. Large spoons, spinnerbaits and large minnow baits trolled or casted around these areas have been very productive.
