Enjoyed reading the posting of crappie/gills in the BWCA.
I am older and simply stay in a cottage close to Ely.
I Am able to carry a canoe but not too far.
Might you guys share thoughts on a couple of lakes around Ely that holds these pan fish.....not asking for your secret holes.
Appreciate any thoughts. Thank you.
mk

Hey mk, don't want to be this guy but panfish lakes/spots are even harder to come by than Walley spots up there. It's akin to Brookie spots in my opinion. I have a good BlueGill lake near Ely but would need to receive a solid pitch via email on how you would use the tip...

Check out Low lake. Hang a left at samz bar and go past cedar lake. Drive right to landing. Ya can stop at samz and tell Melissa i still love her.

Thank you men. Really surprised me that bluegills would be as much a secret as wallys!
Like you said, probably the reason no one was responding. I was beginning to think that folks thought I was just silly in asking about panfish.
I would like to send you an direct email, if you don’t mind sending your email address.
Basically all I’m looking for is a little lake that is not difficult to float a canoe for a couple of afternoons along with my wife ....
If she catches one, I have to take it off her hook!.

Greatly appreciate the information on Low Lake.
I certainly will tell Malissa you send your love. If the beer is cold and the hamburger has a big slice of onion at Samz bar, we may not do much fishing.
Thank you for responding men.....breaks up this crazy crappy winter for me.
mk

I've had success for big gills in the Kawishiwi River. I stayed at the campground at the resort on Farm lake (Timber Trail) and paddled into the river and fished in reeds around the islands. This was 20 years ago but me and my young son used wax worms with bobbers down in 10 feet of water.

Around the same time frame me and my Dad put in on the river at a public landing and had the same success.

Here are notes I've gleaned over the years...

Bluegill BWCA lakes
Lake One
Boot Lake?
Horse Lake
Cummings Lake
Back Bay (Basswood)
last year caught some nice bluegill in a bay behind our campsite on knife lake
Gabbro. Head into the far north bay on Gabbro and fish the shorelines.
Fourtown first and Tin Can Mike second.
Marlberg
Pine Lake off of Trout...they're in there!!!

Mk, click that little envelope button icon under my name on any of my posts.

Me and my daughters caught a bunch of nice bluegills from our campsite on Lake one last year. They were in the reeds/lillypads in the evening and it was just dumb luck that we found them.

bobbernumber3: "Here are notes I've gleaned over the years...


Bluegill BWCA lakes
Lake One
Boot Lake?
Horse Lake
Cummings Lake
Back Bay (Basswood)
last year caught some nice bluegill in a bay behind our campsite on knife lake
Gabbro. Head into the far north bay on Gabbro and fish the shorelines.
Fourtown first and Tin Can Mike second.
Marlberg
Pine Lake off of Trout...they're in there!!!



"

Pine Lake off of Trout - can confirm. Big ones in there.

MK go to the North side of Agnes and fish for walleye. You will get a nice crappie every now and then.

Thank you !
We will give Agnes a try.
mk

Not in the b-dub but I have had luck at Johnson Lake outside of Ely.

blutofish1: " Not in the b-dub but I have had luck at Johnson Lake outside of Ely."

Any walleyes in Johnson Lake?

Ya Tony, any walleye in there...

We caught a few but, we were targeting crappie. The crappie were all solid 3/4 pounders.

One pine and Johnson are on my lake list.

Upper Pauness should be renamed to Big Bluegill Lake in 2021.

Cc26: "

bobbernumber3: "Here are notes I've gleaned over the years...



Bluegill BWCA lakes
Lake One
Boot Lake?
Horse Lake
Cummings Lake
Back Bay (Basswood)
last year caught some nice bluegill in a bay behind our campsite on knife lake
Gabbro. Head into the far north bay on Gabbro and fish the shorelines.
Fourtown first and Tin Can Mike second.
Marlberg
Pine Lake off of Trout...they're in there!!!
"

A chunky Pine Lake bluegill...

Brookie Spots and Big Bluegill spots are very closely guarded secrets especially small lakes. A lake like White Iron is a good panfish lake and big enough to suggest.

Basspro69: " Brookie Spots and Big Bluegill spots are very closely guarded secrets especially small lakes. A lake like White Iron is a good panfish lake and big enough to suggest."

Men,
Greatly appreciate all the information.
Very helpful.
Some great pics!
Hope to catch a half dozen of these chunks some afternoon in late June.
Thank you for taking time to respond to my request.
mk

Bass, Grassy, Low, Johnson and One Pine all hold crappie.

Bird lake over by Aurora is choke full of crappies.