Is it safe to swim in lakes near Ely?

That is a call for Minnesota's water agency and the county health department, who post current advisories. 19 lakes within driving distance of Ely pass the low-algae screen (favourable clarity and nutrient readings, chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L, public access). The top pick on those readings is White Iron Lake in Lake County, 4.1 miles away. Bacteria can spike after heavy rain, so always check the current advisories before you swim.

Which lakes near Ely have bacteria testing?

None of the lakes near Ely have enough recent bacteria samples on record, so these lakes are screened on water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a) instead. Always check posted advisories before swimming.

What is the cleanest swimming lake near Ely?

White Iron Lake (Lake County) is the cleanest swim lake near Ely on measured clarity and nutrients, with 4.5 ft of water clarity.

Swimming Lakes Near Ely, MN: Clarity, Algae and Bacteria Readings (2026)

19 lakes within driving distance of Ely, Minnesota pass the low-algae screen — favourable clarity and nutrient readings, low algae, and public access. 0 have direct bacteria (E. coli) testing on record. Filtered for the clearest, lowest-nutrient readings in the sampling record, low algae (chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L), and public access. Not a swimming clearance: always check local advisories on the day you swim.

A moderate cluster of 19 measured lakes lies within reach of Ely. White Iron Lake has the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the set.

Filtered for swimming, the nearby-lake list narrows further. swimming-specific signals, fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion, interact with the water-quality readings in different ways depending on the use case.

#	Lake	County	Bacteria	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	White Iron Lake	Lake	Low algae	4.1 mi	4.5 ft	47 ft
2	Garden Lake	Lake	Low algae	6 mi	5 ft	55 ft
3	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	Low algae	6 mi	16 ft	126 ft
4	Farm Lake	Lake	Low algae	6.5 mi	5.5 ft	56 ft
5	Fenske Lake	St. Louis	Limited data	6.5 mi	11.5 ft	43 ft
6	Fall Lake	Lake	Low algae	6.7 mi	5.5 ft	32 ft
7	Bear Island Lake	St. Louis	Limited data	10.2 mi	7 ft	62 ft
8	Ed Shave Lake	St. Louis	Limited data	12.4 mi	11.5 ft	17 ft
9	Bear Head Lake	St. Louis	Low algae	12.9 mi	11 ft	46 ft
10	Big Lake	St. Louis	Limited data	13.7 mi	8.2 ft	22 ft
11	August Lake	Lake	Limited data	15.5 mi	4.7 ft	19 ft
12	Dunnigan Lake	Lake	Limited data	17.5 mi	11.4 ft	14 ft
13	Slate Lake	Lake	Limited data	18.2 mi	4.4 ft	7 ft
14	Middle Mcdougal Lake	Lake	Limited data	24.1 mi	3.6 ft	7 ft
15	Isabella Lake	Lake	Limited data	27.5 mi	4.4 ft	19 ft
16	Colby Lake	St. Louis	Limited data	29 mi	3 ft	30 ft
17	Eagles Nest Lake	St. Louis	Limited data	12 mi	15.5 ft	49 ft
18	Snowbank Lake	Lake	Limited data	21.4 mi	15.1 ft	150 ft
19	Dragon Lake	Lake	Limited data	21.8 mi	7.5 ft	15 ft

Other activities near Ely

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Where to stay near Ely

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.