Any ice fishing reports or word on conditions?

Reports out of the Ely area are very positive in terms of conditions for travel -- minimal slush, and the high winds have blown a lot of snow away. Snowbank was looking like 6-9 inches of good ice under a few inches of crappy ice.

Arrowhead Outdoors mentioned the fishing had been slow but not awful to start the bwca trout season. white and chartreuse tube jigs.

Haven't been out myself.

Was in the area last weekend and while travel conditions were very good for snowshoes and skis once we started drilling holes water was pouring out of them and the area we were in quickly turned it a giant slush pit. I was on a smaller lake than snowbank so they may not be having those issues there.

Thank you.

I’ve been on 6 lakes in the Ely area in the past week. The bigger lakes are in better shape. Hard packed drifts and frozen slush with pockets of slush mixed in. One lake was 8” of slush. The entire lake. The others were half to three quarters slush. Fishing was slow when I fished.

Finnboy: "I’ve been on 6 lakes in the Ely area in the past week. The bigger lakes are in better shape. Hard packed drifts and frozen slush with pockets of slush mixed in. One lake was 8” of slush. The entire lake. The others were half to three quarters slush. Fishing was slow when I fished."

Wow, quite different from snowbank report!


Gunflint had 12 inches of ice 200 yards out from shore today according to the lodge.

The larger lakes that are more prone to getting windswept are better off. The smaller lakes hold onto their snow more especially those with steeper topography surrounding them.

Snowbank’s western shore is relatively flat. The wind can get rolling out there all 4 seasons.

Conditions are improving with the cold nights we’ve been having here in Ely. I revisited a lake I was on last weekend and the slush is starting to freeze up. This is on a medium sized lake without a lot of topography surrounding it.