July 23rd, 2024

***Fishing Report***

Walleye - Walleye fishing continues to improve as anglers work out where the walleyes are and what they are biting on. Anglers are now finding walleyes working weedlines in 8-12ft of water. Here gold, perch and orange or chartreuse spinner rigs tipped with a leech or a crawler has been very effective. Windswept rock piles and rocky shorelines have also been a popular choice. Depth out here remains the same, 8-12ft with some of the bigger walleyes just off the edge of the structure.  Here too, spinner rigs, jig with a leech or crawler, drifted over the top have been very effective. Reports of anglers catching walleye off their docks have also been coming in, but the majority of these walleyes have been small. 

Smallmouth - Smallies have settled into their classic mid-summer spots. Anglers are finding them around large boulders found along shorelines with spinnerbaits, in-line spinners and soft plastics. Early morning topwater bite continues to be effective for those early morning risers. As the sun gets up that bite quickly cools off quickly. 

Panfish - Sunfish and crappies continue to be found working weedlines and inside weedbeds. Big gills are almost being found exclusively inside the thickest weeds you can find. Small worms or wax worms, fished under a bobber have been very effective on finding them and catching them. Crappies have been a little more scattered, but are mainly being found just outside the weedbeds during the day, then as the sun goes down, they push into the weedbeds. Search baits like beetle spins and jig/twisters have been very effective in finding and catching these crappies. 

Pike - Pike anglers have been reporting good numbers of quality size pike being caught, but large pike (30” +) have been somewhat few and far between. Anglers have been throwing large spoons, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and buzzbaits for pike, mainly along weedlines, river mouths and the mouths of bays, in 8-15ft of water.

Stream Trout - Rainbow trout have been very active on area lakes. Limits of nice rainbows are being caught trolling cowbells, tipped with a small crankbait or spinner tipped with a crawler.  Anglers fishing from shore have also been getting limits of rainbows fishing a night crawler under a bobber, about 5-10 feet down. Evenings have been the best time for this bite.

Lake Trout - Lake Trout anglers have been reporting catching good numbers and size lakers trolling with trolling spoons behind a down rigger. Anglers should watch for the thermocline on their depth finders and position their baits very close to it. Open water trolling has been the most effective as of late. 

BWCA brook trout trophy! This young angler from Ely, MN proudly holds a stunning brook trout caught on July 23rd, 2024, right from the canoe on a BWCA lake. Kid’s smilin' ear-to-ear in a blue hoodie and life jacket while grippin' the fish by the lip—brookie's long, deep body shines with dark olive back, light worm-like spots, bright orange-red fins blazin' with white edges, big eye glarin', and wide mouth showin' the white twister still hooked in. Calm blue water laps rocky shores behind, thick green pines towerin' under a bright July sky—classic Boundary Waters wilderness scene. Brook trout were crushin' small soft plastics like white twisters near cold inlets and rocky points—aggressive strikes and colorful fights in clear, cool water. This catch captures the thrill: canoe adventure, epic battle, and the rush of a true trophy brookie. At Arrowhead Outdoors, stock up on premium fishing tackle includin' white twisters and jigs for brook trout success, plus hunting gear and camping gear for your Ely adventures. Come see us for the gear and tips!