Ely Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

69066000

County

St. Louis

Surface area

723 acres

Maximum depth

70 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

225 acres, 31% of the lake

Shoreline

9.6 miles

Average water clarity

18.5 feet (Secchi disk, 4 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Eveleth

Latest DNR fish survey

August 2025, targeted survey

Surveys on record

13, since 1974

Game fish caught in the 2025 survey

bluegill 329, hybrid sunfish 198, smallmouth bass 59, largemouth bass 41, rock bass 23, yellow perch 16, pumpkinseed 8, green sunfish 8

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, and 18 other species

Stocked in 2025

walleye fingerlings (2,535)

Stocked in 2023

walleye fingerlings (4,901)

Stocked in 2021

walleye fingerlings (5,706)

Stocking years on record

5 of the last 10 (2017 to 2025)

Ely Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 8 trailer spaces, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Infested waters list

zebra mussel

Fish consumption

Follow the northeast guidelines; fish from this lake have been tested

Size

500 to 1,999 acres

Deepest point

60 feet or more

Public access

Yes

Stocked in the last 3 years

Yes

Sources

• Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
  Checked September 24, 2026

Survey catches show what DNR nets and electrofishing found on the survey date, not how the fishing is today. Check the current regulations and the Department of Health advice before you keep fish, and confirm access conditions before you tow a boat.