March 19th, 2025
***Fishing Report***
Crappie - Crappie anglers were out in force this last week as spring crappie fishing improves. Anglers have been reporting that crappies have mainly been biting in the afternoon hours on many Ely area crappie lakes. Crappies still remain on the negative side so wax worms have been best with crappie minnows and soft plastics also working, but just not as good.
Lake Trout - Anglers continue to report catching good lakers this last week. Many anglers have shifted their focus to deep mud flats to find active lakers. With no snow on the ice anymore, sunlight is able to get through the ice and bugs have started getting active. With bugs there’s minnows and with minnows there’s lakers. Blade bait continue to produce the best results, but bucktails and tubes are still catching trout. Small to medium size minnows under tip ups have also been producing trout.
Stream Trout - Rainbow trout continue to be found 5-15 feet under the ice over 20-70 feet of water. Small spoons or jigs tipped with a wax worms continues to catch trout. Splake and Brook trout are being caught in somewhat shallower water 5-20 feet. Dead minnows on a jig, or small spoons tipped with waxes have been very effective on them.
***Ice Report***
Ice thickness remains 20-36” depending on the lake you are on. General rule of thumb is lake trout and large stream trout lakes are around the 20” mark while your panfish lakes are generally between 30-36” of ice. Anglers should be aware that with recent rains current areas have started to open up. There is very little to no snow left on area lakes, so leave the snowmobile at home.
A great group of four anglers (with two awesome dogs – a husky and black lab stealin' the show) kneels proud on the snowy ice displayin' a full limit of beautiful slab crappies caught March 19th, 2025 in the Ely MN area near the BWCA – these golden panfish shine with dark speckles, plump bodies, big eyes, and flared fins laid out in neat rows on the frozen lake, catchin' that overcast light with distant pines in the backdrop. The crew's bundled in hoodies, camo jackets, bibs, hats, and grins wide under the gray sky – one guy's got his arm around the next, dogs sittin' patient (husky with blue eyes lookin' ready for adventure, lab chillin' calm). Late March late-ice crappie fishin' delivers quality like this when slabs school up suspended or near structure in 10-30 feet on panfish lakes, crushin' small jigs tipped white/ pink soft plastics, wax worms, or minnows slow-bounced afternoons as temps rise and light penetrates thinner ice. The quiet vastness, snow crunch under knees, dogs along for company – that's the camaraderie and thrill of BWCA winter group fishin' before thaw. These slabs mix lake trout deep jiggin', walleye shiners, northern pike tip-ups, stream trout shallow, and more for end-of-season action. Head to Arrowhead Outdoors, voted #1 Bait and Tackle Shop in MN, for crappie jigs, plastics, minnows, and our heated ice house rentals to make group slab chases, walleye, lake trout, eelpout, tulibee, whitefish cozy overnight successes. Group limits with pups? Best way to close winter!