Best Lakes Near Ely, MN, 50 Lakes Within 50 Miles

50 lakes within 50 miles of Ely have nutrient and algae readings on record. White Iron Lake in Lake County leads the set on measured water quality, with about 4.5 ft of clarity. 40 of the 50 have a recorded public access point.

Within reasonable driving distance of Ely sit 50 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.

The lakes below are sorted on measured water quality. If you have a specific activity in mind, swimming, kayaking, ice-fishing, family-fishing, the activity-specific sub-pages will filter further.

Lakes Within 50 mi

With Clarity Readings

With Fish Data

Public Access

Lake	Distance	County	Clarity	Depth	Fish
White Iron Lake	4.1 mi	Lake	4.5 ft	47 ft	10
Garden Lake	6 mi	Lake	5 ft	55 ft	12
Burntside Lake	6 mi	St. Louis	16 ft	126 ft	15
Farm Lake	6.5 mi	Lake	5.5 ft	56 ft	12
Fenske Lake	6.5 mi	St. Louis	11.5 ft	43 ft	8
Fall Lake	6.7 mi	Lake	5.5 ft	32 ft	12
Bear Island Lake	10.2 mi	St. Louis	7 ft	62 ft	13
Ed Shave Lake	12.4 mi	St. Louis	11.5 ft	17 ft	6
Bear Head Lake	12.9 mi	St. Louis	11 ft	46 ft	9
Big Lake	13.7 mi	St. Louis	8.2 ft	22 ft	8
August Lake	15.5 mi	Lake	4.7 ft	19 ft	7
Dunnigan Lake	17.5 mi	Lake	11.4 ft	14 ft	5
Slate Lake	18.2 mi	Lake	4.4 ft	7 ft	8
Wampus Lake	21.2 mi	Lake	3.1 ft	6 ft	1
Middle Mcdougal Lake	24.1 mi	Lake	3.6 ft	7 ft	8
Mitawan Lake	25.4 mi	Lake	11.3 ft	24 ft	9
Isabella Lake	27.5 mi	Lake	4.4 ft	19 ft	11
Colby Lake	29 mi	St. Louis	3 ft	30 ft	15
Sabin Lake	30.2 mi	St. Louis	2.1 ft	52 ft	10
Whitewater Lake	30.5 mi	St. Louis	14 ft	73 ft	15
Pine Lake	30.8 mi	St. Louis	7.5 ft	14 ft	8
Wynne Lake	30.9 mi	St. Louis	7.3 ft	52 ft	10
Dumbbell Lake	34.2 mi	Lake	14.8 ft	40 ft	6
Cedar Island Lake	35.5 mi	St. Louis	3.8 ft	-	0
Silver Island Lake	35.7 mi	Lake	4.4 ft	16 ft	11
Cadotte Lake	36.2 mi	St. Louis	10.2 ft	18 ft	5
Windy Lake	38.7 mi	Lake	5.5 ft	39 ft	7
Wilson Lake	40 mi	Lake	10.7 ft	53 ft	4
Silver Lake	40.9 mi	St. Louis	19.3 ft	29 ft	10
Crooked Lake	42 mi	Lake	3 ft	4 ft	0
Ninemile Lake	42.9 mi	Lake	6.6 ft	40 ft	6
Ely Lake	43 mi	St. Louis	17.1 ft	70 ft	14
St. Marys Lake	44.3 mi	St. Louis	13.1 ft	44 ft	14
Pleasant Lake	45.2 mi	St. Louis	10 ft	33 ft	11
Saganaga Lake	47 mi	Cook	13 ft	-	0
Sea Gull Lake	47.5 mi	Cook	14.3 ft	40 ft	12
Tetagouche Lake	47.6 mi	Lake	7.2 ft	20 ft	2
Gull Lake	48.6 mi	Cook	15.5 ft	-	0
Bean Lake	48.8 mi	Lake	9.8 ft	26 ft	3
Round Lake	49.1 mi	Cook	16.5 ft	45 ft	5
Bear Lake	49.2 mi	Lake	17.4 ft	31 ft	4
Stewart Lake	49.8 mi	Lake	10 ft	20 ft	7
Eagles Nest Lake	12 mi	St. Louis	15.5 ft	49 ft	9
Snowbank Lake	21.4 mi	Lake	15.1 ft	150 ft	11
Dragon Lake	21.8 mi	Lake	7.5 ft	15 ft	10
Big Rice Lake	32.5 mi	St. Louis	—	5 ft	0
Sandy Lake	38.9 mi	St. Louis	—	-	0
Cabin Lake	39.3 mi	Lake	—	3 ft	3
Little Sandy Lake	39.4 mi	St. Louis	—	-	0
Mukooda Lake	41.3 mi	St. Louis	16.6 ft	78 ft	14

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Cleanest Lakes Near Ely

White Iron Lake

4.1 mi · Lake County · 4.5 ft clarity

Garden Lake

6 mi · Lake County · 5 ft clarity

Burntside Lake

6 mi · St. Louis County · 16 ft clarity

Farm Lake

6.5 mi · Lake County · 5.5 ft clarity

Fenske Lake

6.5 mi · St. Louis County · 11.5 ft clarity

Fall Lake

6.7 mi · Lake County · 5.5 ft clarity

Plan a lake trip in Minnesota

The State of Minnesota's Lakes

Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements

Minnesota Fishing Guide

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Minnesota Lake Trips

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes are near Ely?

There are 50 lakes with water-quality readings on record within 50 miles of Ely, Minnesota. 40 of them have a recorded public access point and 46 have a clarity reading.

What are the best lakes near Ely for fishing?

43 lakes near Ely have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine favourable water-quality readings with diverse fish populations. 37 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.

Where to stay near Ely

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ely — book a place close to the cleanest lakes in the area.

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.