March 5th, 2025

***Fishing Report***

Lake Trout - Lake trout continues to be a boom or bust venture for some anglers. Anglers that are on the trout, are on the trout with big trout and numbers being landed. Many anglers have been reporting that lakers are flying high in the water column, just under the ice.  Anglers continue to focus in 30-50 feet of water, but are seeing lakers 5-15 feet under the ice. Blade baits and spoons have been the most effective as of late. Anglers have been tipping them with minnow heads to help trigger bites. Dead bait laying on the bottom has also been effective for some anglers.

Stream trout - Rainbow trout have been active and flying high just like the lake trout. Anglers have been fishing 30-70 feet of water, but have been catching rainbows 5-15 feet under the ice. Small spoons and small jigs tipped with wax worms or soft plastic have been effective for rainbows. 

Panfish - Warm, spring-like temps had many anglers thinking crappies this last weekend. While many anglers scraped together some crappies, the bite wasn’t hot and heavy yet. Anglers did report seeing some groups of crappies on their flashers. Soft plastics, crappie minnows And wax worms tipped on a jig were effective. Anglers have been finding them in 20-30 feet of water.

A gorgeous slab crappie rests on the fresh snow after bein' pulled through the ice on March 5th, 2025 in the Ely MN area near the BWCA – this plump beauty's golden-yellow body glows with dark mottles and speckles, big black eye wide open, gills flared red, and fiery orange fins spread wide against the white backdrop. The winning bait's still hooked in the lip: a bright red/orange jig head danglin' a white soft plastic tail (teardrop or tube style with polka dots for extra flash), perfect for triggerin' those late-ice crappie when they're fussy and suspended high off bottom or near structure in 10-30 feet on panfish lakes. Late winter/early March crappie bites crank up in the afternoons here, with fish gettin' active as light filters through clearer ice and temps rise slightly – keep presentations slow, light jigs tipped subtle, white or chartreuse plastics/wax worms for the win over heavier stuff. The snow-covered ice sparkles, hole edges fresh-cut, distant pines silhouetted – that quiet, crisp Northwoods feel that makes late-ice fishin' so dang special up in the BWCA region. These slabs pair killer with lake trout deep jiggin', walleye on shiners, northern pike tip-ups, stream trout shallow, and more before the thaw. Swing by Arrowhead Outdoors, voted #1 Bait and Tackle Shop in MN, for red/orange jigs, white soft plastics, wax worms, minnows, and our heated ice house rentals to extend those slab chases, walleye, lake trout, eelpout, tulibee, whitefish in cozy comfort. Late ice slabs callin' – don't miss 'em!