January 9th, 2024
***Ice Report***
Excellent ice making weather has come to the Ely area and even better temps are coming! Ice roads have begun to pop up at popular accesses and permanent houses have returned to traditional fishing spots. 10-13” of clear ice is being reported just off the ice roads. Pockets of thin ice are still being reported, so if you plan on venturing off the ice roads be cautious. 4” of fresh snow has also caused slush to pop up in areas.
Lake trout lakes have been a different story. Handful of anglers have been out checking ice on Burntside lake and have been reporting 3-7” of clear ice out there and growing. No reports of ice conditions on Snowbank has been reported to us yet and we are waiting to hear from Snowbank Lodge. Anglers looking to fish Snowbank should call Snowbank Lodge for a current ice report. 218-365-6032
Miners Lake - Reports from Miners lake have been 8” of clear ice, but there are pockets of thin ice, as thin as 2-4”.
***Fishing Report***
Walleye - Walleye fishing has settled into its classic mid January fishing. Short 2 hour window, mostly negative fish. 4-6 is your window for the most activity. Jigging spoons or ripping raps call fish in, but a suspended minnow, under a bobber accounts for the majority of bites and fish landed. Popular depths continue to be in that 18-23 feet of water.
Pike - Pike fishermen continue to have good reports of quality size pike being landed. Sucker minnows fished in 10-15 feet of water, fished under a tip up, has been very effective. Flats and near river mouths has been the area to focus on for active pike.
Panfish - Crappies continue to be found laying on the bottom in 25-35 feet of water, on area lakes. Many anglers have been reporting that fish come in, look, then drift away. Sunfish on the other hand have been more active and showing up in anglers catches. Sunfish have been mixed in with the crappies, out over deep basins. Waxies, tipped on small jigs have been hard to beat for sunnies. Jumbo perch have been active on a few area lakes. Perch up to 15” are being caught on walleyes spots, but mainly during the day. Minnows under a bobber has been accounting for the majority of perch caught. Mud flats in 15-20 feet of water has been where to look for them.
Stream Trout (inside the BWCA) - A few anglers have started to venture into the BWCA stream trout lakes looking for mainly brookies. Fishing has been a little slow, as little snow cover has shallow water brookies a little skittish. Anglers have been focusing in 5 feet of water or less, close to timber or weeds on shallow flats for brookies. Small jigs or spoons tipped with wax worms or soft plastics have been effective.
Lake Trout (inside the BWCA) - We have yet to hear reports of anyone going into lakes within the BWCA and fishing for lakers yet. With forecasted temperatures, we expect that to change soon.
