September 24th, 2024

***Fishing Report***

Walleye - Finally, cooler, more normal temps have returned to the Ely area, which has helped the walleye bite on many Ely area lakes. Anglers have been reporting that they are starting to find some walleyes in the 12-20ft of water on large flats close to deep water. Here larger minnows on a lindy rig or a jig has been very effective. Reports of crawlers working well for anglers continue to come in. For crawlers, spinner rigs have been the way to fish them. Gold, gum ball, and orange/chartreuse have remained popular colors for anglers.

Smallmouth - Smallies have been the hottest bite happening right now. Smallies continue to be found in all classic smallmouth locations, but sunken islands with deep water around them have been the best location to find the really aggressive smallies. Out here, medium suckers or creek chubs have been deadly on the giant smallies. Tip these minnows on a jig or lindy rig and hang on!

Panfish - Crappies seem to be schooling up a little more this last week as anglers reported higher catch rates this last week. Cabbage beds have been the best location to find crappies, but standing timber has also been a good location to find crappies. Jig/twisters, beetle spins and the classic, crappie minnows under a bobber have been the way to go for crappies. 

Stream Trout - Rainbows continue to be a popular catch for stream trout anglers this last week. Anglers fishing a night crawler, 5-10ft under a bobber, or floating one off the bottom, have had very good luck. Anglers fishing from a boat have simply been trolling small crankbaits, over deep water, and having very good luck.

Pike - Pike fishing has been a little bit hit or miss this last week for pike anglers. Some really big pike have been landed this last week, but there have been a fair amount of hammer handles caught too. Large suckers fished under a bobber and floated in shallow bays, rocky points or near river mouths have been effective on big pike.

Early-fall pike power! This angler from Ely, MN proudly hoists a solid northern pike caught on September 24th, 2024, right from the boat on a BWCA-connected lake. He's smilin' wide in a gray hoodie and cap while grippin' the fish by the lip—pike's long body shines with yellow-green flanks, dark oval spots, razor teeth flashin' in the wide mouth, and orange fins flared with the pike sucker still hooked in. Calm blue water laps rocky islands behind, thick green pines towerin' under a partly cloudy September sky—classic Northwoods fall scene. Pike were crushin' big live pike suckers on quick-strike rigs near weed edges and bays as they fed heavy pre-cool-down—big baits for big toothy strikes. This catch captures the thrill: explosive hit, hard boat-side fight, and the rush of a true freshwater predator. At Arrowhead Outdoors, stock up on premium fishing tackle includin' pike suckers and heavy rigs for northern pike success, plus hunting gear and camping gear for your Ely adventures. Come see us for the gear and tips!