• Trout are abundant in and around Ely fishing holes.Trouts image by Dubravko Grakalic from Fotolia.com
  
  Ely, Minnesota, sits near several of Minnesota's many lakes, which provide great sites for fishing. The closest lake to Ely is Shagawa Lake, which directly borders the town to the north. Superior National Forest also borders Ely, and it has lakes and streams with a variety of fish, including trout, whitefish, bass, panfish, pike, splake and musky.
  
  

State Regulations

• Check the Minnesota state regulations for fishing before going, because the state's government imposes some limitations on when and where certain types of fish are legal to catch. The state publishes a new set of regulations each year, and sometimes updates its regulations during the year, so check it regularly. In 2010, regulations allow individuals older than 90 to fish without a license, permit nonresidents to spear and take fish, and require residents and nonresidents to have licenses before fishing. Before fishing in Superior National Forest, check its regulations to see which areas require a permit.
  
  

Trout Depths

• Trout hang out at different depths in lakes depending on the season. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources explains that trout are found around the edges of lakes during cold weather and then seek cooler temperatures at greater depths during summer. Therefore, it may be easier to fish for trout from the edges of a lake during cool weather and easier to fish for trout from a boat during hot weather. Shagawa Lake does not have trout, but many of the streams and lakes in Superior National Forest do.
  
  

Brown Trout Tips

• Brown trout are one of most popular fish to catch in Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. When fishing for brown trout, be careful not to scare them away by casting a shadow on the surface of the water. Also remember that they tend to hang out in shady areas, like beneath trees, which also help hide shadows from fishermen.
  
  

Bait

• Trout like nightcrawlers as live bait and spinners for non-live bait, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Fly fishing also catches many trout. Bass, common to both Lake Shagawa and Superior National Forest, can be lured by imitation baits, including plastic minnows, frogs and crayfish.
  
  

Pike Tips

• Swivels on pike baits deter the fish, according to the World Fishing Network. When fishing for pike, which live in Superior National Forest waters, use spinners or body baits in shallow waters above underwater weed beds, where larger pike can be found. Pike also live in Shagawa Lake, where their average weight in 2007 was 3.25 pounds. Both Shagawa Lake and other lakes in Superior National Forest tend to have weed beds along the edges of the water, which serve host to pike.
  
  

Lake Shagawa Consumption

• Although fish from Shagawa Lake are edible, the state suggests that people limit their intake somewhat to avoid mercury. Pregnant women should only have northern pike, walleye shorter than 16 inches, yellow perch and white sucker from Shagawa Lake up to once per week. They should have walleye larger than 16 inches up to once per month. The general public should limit their intake of northern pike and walleye to once per week, and eat other fish from the lake without restrictions.
  
  

Superior National Forest Consumption

• Devil Track Lake is one of the larger lakes in Superior National Forest, and it also has some guidelines for safe fish consumption. Pregnant women should have one or fewer meals per week from whitefish, northern pike shorter than 18 inches, walleye shorter than 13 inches, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. They should eat northern pike larger than 18 inches and walleye shorter than 13 inches no more than once per month. The general public should eat northern pike, smallmouth bass and walleye up to once per week, and eat whitefish and yellow perch without restriction.
  
  

Trout Locations

• Many of Minnesota's trout naturally live in streams, but are stocked in some lakes or get into some lakes through connected streams. Devil Track Lake gets brook trout stocked each year. Greenwood Lake in Superior National forest also has some trout that enter the lake through nearby streams, as does Clearwater Lake.