Elbow

Elbow Lake is a 528 acre lake in western Cook County located approximately 14 miles northwest of Schroeder. It is part of the Timber Frear Loop, a canoe route maintained by the Forest Service with several remote camp sites and portage trails between lakes. This canoe route provides a less regulated area where visitors can use motors and other equipment not allowed in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. There is no direct road access to Elbow Lake, so anglers must use one of four portages from the surrounding lakes. The best way for anglers to access the lake is to park at the Whitefish Lake campground and access then paddle along the north shore of Whitefish Lake to a 74 rod portage to the southwest corner of Elbow Lake. There are four backcountry campsites located on Elbow Lake available on a first come first serve basis. A lake survey was conducted on Elbow Lake during the summer of 2022 to assess the status of the Walleye and Northern Pike populations along with the fish community as a whole. The 2022 Walleye catch was above the normal range for similar lakes throughout the state. It was much higher than the catch in the 2015 survey, but similar to catches from other historic surveys completed on the lake. The average length of Walleye sampled was almost 15 inches with the longest fish measuring 21 inches. They ranged in age from one to 18 with few missing ages suggesting that Walleye spawn successfully most years. In late August when the survey took place, age-3 Walleye had an average length of 13 inches. Anglers are unlikely to catch a trophy Walleye in Elbow Lake however, there are good numbers of eater sized fish present. Northern Pike catch during the 2022 survey was near average relative to similar lakes throughout the state and within the range observed in previous surveys of the lake. Pike had an average length of 23 inches with the longest fish measuring 31 inches. As with Walleye, anglers are unlikely to catch large pike in Elbow Lake however, there are sufficient numbers of eater sized pike for anglers to target. Yellow Perch catch was much higher than similar lakes across the state and the highest catch ever recorded on Elbow Lake. The average length of perch was just over six inches however, only one perch longer than eight inches was sampled. Despite good numbers of perch in Elbow Lake it is unlikely many anglers will be interested in targeting them due to their small size structure; they are more important as a forage species. White Sucker are another important forage species in the lake and were sampled in average numbers relative to similar lakes across the state. Other species sampled were Johnny Darter, Golden Shiner, Northern Pearl Dace, and Tadpole Madtom.

Elbow Lake is a scenic lake in a remote wilderness setting located 11 miles east of Sawbill Landing. Elbow Lake has an area of 528 acres and a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake is within the Timber-Frear Loop Semi-Primitive Area of the Superior National Forest, which provides opportunities for canoeing and camping with less restrictive regulations than the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Elbow Lake has 5 campsites that are only accessible from the water. The lake can be accessed by portage trails from Whitefish Lake (60 rods), Finger Lake (30 rods), Timber Lake (40 rods), and Lost Lake (160 rods). The shoreline of Elbow Lake consists of mature conifers and is all public land with most owned by the US Forest Service and some owned by the state of Minnesota as part of the School Trust Program. Walleye and Northern Pike are the two most sought after game fish present in the lake. The lake bottom is composed mostly of boulders, rubble, and gravel with occasional large areas of sand near shore. Aquatic plants are common out to a depth of 10 feet. There are over 30 species of aquatic and riparian plants with the most common aquatic species being ribbon-leaf pondweed and large-leaf pondweed. The water is moderately clear with a brown hue. In 2015, the Walleye catch rate was near average when compared to similar lakes in Northeastern Minnesota, but down relative to past catches on Elbow Lake. Average length observed was 13.7 inches with the largest fish having a total length of 21.8 inches. The average weight of 1.0 pounds is near average when compared to similar lakes. The Walleye population is maintained through natural reproduction and nine year classes were present in the 2015 survey with the 2011 year class making up 43 percent of the catch, and the 2012 year class making up 20 percent of the catch. Growth is slow for Walleye in Elbow Lake when compared to other area lakes. Northern Pike catch was near average when compared to similar lakes in Northeastern Minnesota. Average length was 20.2 inches with the largest fish having a total length of 24.5 inches. The average weight of 1.7 pounds is near average when compared to similar lakes. Growth is also average relative to other area lakes. Yellow Perch catch was about average relative to similar lakes in Northeastern Minnesota. Average length of Yellow Perch was 6.1 inches with the largest fish sampled having a total length of 6.6 inches. The average weight of 0.1 pound is low relative to similar lakes. Only two year classes were present with the 2013 year class making up 66 percent of the catch. Growth was slow relative to other area lakes. Elbow Lake and the other lakes in the Timber-Frear Loop provide a unique fishing and camping experience in a near pristine setting. As a result, Elbow Lake is heavily used by canoers and anglers during the summer months.

Elbow Lake is part of a semi-primitive area within the Superior National Forest called the "Timber-Frear Loop" and can be accessed by portage trails from Whitefish, Finger, Timber and Lost Lakes. There are five USFS remote campsites on the lake. Motors are allowed; camping or day use permits are not required. The 2009 walleye population in Elbow Lake was well above average for the lake class. The average length was 12.7 inches with 24% of the catch larger than 14 inches. This is on par with previous assessments when good numbers of small average size fish were sampled. Natural reproduction is consistent and maintains the walleye fishery. Walleye became established in Elbow Lake in the late 1970s or early 1980s from connecting walleye lakes. Northern pike numbers were slightly below average for the lake class; average length was 20.1 inches. The small sample of northern pike in 2009 included one 29 inch fish. Yellow perch were sampled low numbers; however, thirty-one per cent of the catch was greater than nine inches. White suckers were also sampled and provide forage for the Elbow Lake fish community.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch in Elbow. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Elbow. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Elbow has a maximum depth of 23 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Elbow is from 2022.

No invasive species are on record for Elbow in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.