Ely Area fishing report:

[Lee Borgersen]

Steve Foss of Ely took a day off from guiding to put a couple of lake trout from Burntside Lake on the table.

Ely Area:
Fishing report
     

  .....
Trout fishing seems to be what has been drawing most anglers to the lakes in this area recently, and with just cause.
Limits of rainbow trout have been caught recently on lakes such as Miners, Glacier Ponds Tofte, and High and Dry Lakes.

  ....
Most folks are fishing these beauties from just under the ice to depths of fourteen feet. Baits of choice have been varied, from wax worms and soft plastics on tiny jigs to fresh salted minnows.
Remember, that only dead minnows are allowed on designated trout lakes.

  .....
The best fishing times have been during mid-day, with a minor surge in activity at daybreak.
Lake trout too have been the pescatorial species of most die-hard fishermen, and are targeting these fish on lakes such as Burntside and Snowbank, with decent numbers coming from both.
Some hearty souls have been traveling to the Boundary Waters to Knife, Thomas and Basswood lakes with moderate success there as well. While no true giants have been coming to the scales, many three to six pounders have been caught with a few approaching ten pounds.


These waterways have only minimal snow cover and decent ice beneath it, so travel by light truck, sled or four wheeler appears to be no problem.
This past weekend has shown that Burntside has even been a good destination for larger wheel houses.

  .....
Walleye fishing has been a bit disappointing, with meager stringers coming from Shagawa, Birch, and Fall Lakes. Anglers there are finding that it is much better to move often to attain the best results.
Minnows on a dead stick will work, but a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head will tempt the more aggressive into biting.
This is where it pays to have good electronics and use them to locate roaming schools of walleyes that are chasing schools of bait fish.
Think of how you would approach a lake in the open water season. Would you just drive out on the lake, pick a spot and anchor there for the day? Probably not.
Most likely you would move on if you haven’t been connecting with fish at a given spot. Same holds true for ice fishing.

Most lakes are sporting at least sixteen inches of ice, but it’s best to drill as you go when approaching choke points and moving water. Remember that no ice is ever considered safe. Taking the little time and effort to drill a few holes as you go can save you many dollars and perhaps even your life in the long run. Be safe and good fishing!

[attachment deleted by admin]