Openings · last 7 days
9
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 9 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-233840
When Fenske Lake Campground reopens
Fenske Lake Campground's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
10
Openings · last 90 days
10
Only 10 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026 · of 16 monitored sites
Of the 144 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026): 44 open for online reservation · 33 reserved · 67 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative). Of the facility's 16 monitored sites, 11 can be reserved online and 5 are first-come, first-served.
Where the open windows are
69.4% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 44 of 144 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026Not open online69.4%
Open site-nights44 / 144
Reserved (of online inventory)33 / 77
Weekday openings32
Weekend openings12
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 32 fall on weekdays and 12 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Sep 2026September holds the most room. 44 of 144 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 16 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 006 | 6 |
| 009 | 6 |
| 013 | 6 |
| 008 | 5 |
| 010 | 5 |
The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateMon · Sep 21
Next open weekendFri · Sep 25
The next bookable night is Sep 21; the first open weekend starts Sep 25. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
44 open site-nights across 9 sites at Fenske Lake Campground, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 11 2-night, 9 3-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 21 at site 006.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 80 ft. 9 sites take 25 ft, 6 sites take 35 ft, 3 sites take 40 ft. 5 sites of 16 have no recorded maximum and are not counted.
All 9 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 006 | Not recorded | None | 6 | 6 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 009 | 36 ft | None | 6 | 6 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 013 | 20 ft | None | 6 | 6 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 008 | 32 ft | None | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 010 | Not recorded | None | 5 | 3 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 011 | Not recorded | None | 5 | 3 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 002 | 80 ft | None | 4 | 4 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24 |
| 012 | 32 ft | None | 4 | 4 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24 |
| 016 | 45 ft | None | 3 | 3 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23 |
About Fenske Lake Campground
Overview
Fenske Lake Campground offers visitors an escape to a small, remote campground with large, majestic pine trees and easy access to water. It is a popular base camp for exploring, fishing, hiking, sightseeing and backcountry canoeing in Superior National Forest and the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The campground lies approximately 10 miles outside of Ely, Minnesota.
Recreation
Because of its proximity to access points into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and its status as a Superior National Forest canoe circle route, Fenske Lake is very popular for canoeing and kayaking.
Families and children enjoy exploring the short, 1-mile nature trail in the campground, as well as swimming at the grassy beach or waiting for a catch on the accessible fishing pier. Anglers can make use of the boat ramp and try their luck for bass, northern pike, crappie and sunfish.
View recreation guides and maps of hiking trails and canoe routes in the national forest.
Facilities
The campground is tent-friendly; most sites do not accommodate large RVs. Sites are spaced widely apart along a large loop. All sites have partial to full shade, and some overlook the lake.
A group campsite for 10 to 25 people is situated on a separate parking spur away from the main campground. The site is perched high on a rock ledge overlooking the lake, offering a spectacular view.
Families and groups of friends will enjoy the facility's small picnic area. An open log shelter is available for use during inclement weather.
Natural Features
The facility overlooks 130-acre Fenske Lake, a small and scenic body of water surrounded by dense hardwood and pine forests in the northwoods of Minnesota. Birds and wildlife are abundant in the area.
Superior National Forest, located in northeastern Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, is comprised of 3-million acres. The forest spans 150 miles along the United States-Canada border.
Nearby Attractions
Numerous outdoor recreation opportunities lie within Superior National Forest's 77 lake accesses, 13 fishing piers, 10 swimming beaches and 22 picnic areas. The forest is also home to three scenic byways.
Campers can also explore the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Over 1-million acres in size, the Boundary Waters extends nearly 150 miles along the United States-Canada border and contains over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 12 hiking trails and over 2,000 designated campsites.
Additional sites of interest
16 monitored sites5 FCFS sitesRVs up to 80 ftNo hookups16 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 25
Getting there
From Ely, Minnesota, travel east on State Highway 169 North (toward Winton) for about 1 mile. Turn left onto County Road 88 and travel about 2 miles. Turn right onto Echo Trail and continue about 7 miles to the campground entrance on the right.
Kawishiwi Ranger District, Ely, MN 55731KAWISHIWI RANGER DISTRICT: 218-365-7600, CONCESSIONAIRE (SUMMER): 218-365-2963
BikingBoatingCampingFishingHikingHuntingSwimming SiteWildlife Viewing
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-233840 · facility
Photo gallery
Roll CS-233840 · Fenske Lake Campground · Ely MN12 frames · facility
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Fenske Lake Campground?
Reservations for Fenske Lake Campground are made through Recreation.gov. 44 of 144 tracked site-nights are currently open (30.6%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 10 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 17:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Fenske Lake Campground?
Campsite Sniper detected 9 site-date openings at Fenske Lake Campground in the last 7 days, 10 over 30 days and 10 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Fenske Lake Campground?
9 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 21 at site 006. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Fenske Lake Campground fit a 35-foot RV?
6 of the 16 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 80 ft. 11 of those 16 sites have a recorded maximum length and 5 do not; they are not counted as fitting.
Which month has the most availability at Fenske Lake Campground?
September 2026, with 44 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 144.
When is the next open date at Fenske Lake Campground?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Mon, Sep 21 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 25. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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