May 27th, 2025
***Fishing Report***
Walleye - Little has changed with the walleyes this last week. Gold, pink and firetiger colored jigs, tipped with a minnow, continue to be the best way to catch walleyes. Walleyes have begun to scatter as angler reports range from catching trophies right off the dock in 2-5ft, to 20 feet of water. Shorelines, river mouths and large shallow shoreline flats in 3-16 feet of water, are the areas to focus on. Slip bobber and a leech bite just hasn’t started. Maybe next weekend. There have been a handful of anglers reporting a good trolling bite during the evening hours with large floating rapalas, trolled over shallow flats.
Smallmouth - Pre spawn smallies have been on the chow this last week. Many of the walleyes anglers have been reporting the smallies have taken over their walleye spots. Evenings, from 3pm until 8pm, have been the best time to target smallies as this is when the water reaches its peak temperatures. Smallies have been crushing wacky worms, Ned rigs, jerk baits and of course any kind of live bait they see. Large shallow rock flats, bays, out around islands and rivers is where to focus for smallies. Pretty much anything crawfish colored is getting bit.
Pike - Anglers experienced another great week of pike fishing in Ely area lakes. Large suckers, fished under a bobber, continues to be the best way to set your new personal best. Anglers throwing daredevils, spinners and large paddle tails also caught good numbers and size of pike. 5-10ft of water remains, shallow bays, river mouths and right off the dock remains the best place to target big pike.
Panfish - Finally some stable weather has gotten the panfish back up in the shallows and biting. Like with the smallies, afternoons are the best times to target panfish. Anglers have been finding crappies back up in the shallow pencil reeds. Small tube jigs and small hair jigs, with or without a crappie minnow, have been very effective on crappies. Sunfish seem to be hanging out a little deeper in the emerging weedbeds. Sunfish have been happily hitting a small piece of a night crawler, fished right under a bobber.
Stream Trout - Rainbow trout were a popular choice for anglers this last week. Anglers reported catching some nice trout right off the docks or right off shore with nightcrawlers set about 5-10ft under a bobber. Small silver and blue spoons were also a good choice for Brookies and Splake, also fished from shore.
Lake Trout - With the winds finally settling down a handful of lake trout reports finally came in. Anglers have been finding lakers while trolling deep diving crankbaits over deep mud flats in 15-40ft of water. Anglers reported lakers with a mixture of bugs and ciscos or smelt in their stomachs. White and blue crankbaits got the job done. Anglers fishing from a canoe mainly used heavy tubes, bucktails and heavy jigging spoons while vertically jigging them as they drifted over deep water.
