What is the best fishing lake near Ely?

White Iron Lake in Lake County is the top-ranked fishing lake near Ely on measured water quality (4.1 miles away).

How many lakes are near Ely for fishing?

30 lakes within driving distance of Ely match the fishing filters used on this page.

Best Lakes for Fishing Near Ely, MN

30 fishing lakes within driving distance of Ely, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and fishing-specific filters. Filtered for documented fish species (3+) and public access. Ranked by water quality and species diversity.

Within reasonable driving distance of Ely sit 30 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.

The fishing-specific ranking layered on top of the readings is what produces the list below: a lake with clean readings that does not also support the fishing use case is less useful than a decent one that does.

#	Lake	County	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	White Iron Lake	Lake	4.1 mi	4.5 ft	47 ft
2	Garden Lake	Lake	6 mi	5 ft	55 ft
3	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	6 mi	16 ft	126 ft
4	Farm Lake	Lake	6.5 mi	5.5 ft	56 ft
5	Fenske Lake	St. Louis	6.5 mi	11.5 ft	43 ft
6	Fall Lake	Lake	6.7 mi	5.5 ft	32 ft
7	Bear Island Lake	St. Louis	10.2 mi	7 ft	62 ft
8	Ed Shave Lake	St. Louis	12.4 mi	11.5 ft	17 ft
9	Bear Head Lake	St. Louis	12.9 mi	11 ft	46 ft
10	Big Lake	St. Louis	13.7 mi	8.2 ft	22 ft
11	August Lake	Lake	15.5 mi	4.7 ft	19 ft
12	Dunnigan Lake	Lake	17.5 mi	11.4 ft	14 ft
13	Slate Lake	Lake	18.2 mi	4.4 ft	7 ft
14	Middle Mcdougal Lake	Lake	24.1 mi	3.6 ft	7 ft
15	Isabella Lake	Lake	27.5 mi	4.4 ft	19 ft
16	Colby Lake	St. Louis	29 mi	3 ft	30 ft
17	Sabin Lake	St. Louis	30.2 mi	2.1 ft	52 ft
18	Whitewater Lake	St. Louis	30.5 mi	14 ft	73 ft
19	Pine Lake	St. Louis	30.8 mi	7.5 ft	14 ft
20	Wynne Lake	St. Louis	30.9 mi	7.3 ft	52 ft
21	Dumbbell Lake	Lake	34.2 mi	14.8 ft	40 ft
22	Silver Island Lake	Lake	35.7 mi	4.4 ft	16 ft
23	Cadotte Lake	St. Louis	36.2 mi	10.2 ft	18 ft
24	Windy Lake	Lake	38.7 mi	5.5 ft	39 ft
25	Wilson Lake	Lake	40 mi	10.7 ft	53 ft
26	Silver Lake	St. Louis	40.9 mi	19.3 ft	29 ft
27	Ninemile Lake	Lake	42.9 mi	6.6 ft	40 ft
28	Ely Lake	St. Louis	43 mi	17.1 ft	70 ft
29	Pleasant Lake	St. Louis	45.2 mi	10 ft	33 ft
30	Sea Gull Lake	Cook	47.5 mi	14.3 ft	40 ft

Other activities near Ely

Swimming near Ely →Kayaking near Ely →Boating near Ely →All lakes near Ely →

Where to stay near Ely

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

Top-rated places to stay near Ely

Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a trip to Ely?

Get lake water-quality updates plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Ely — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.