January 1st marks the Boundary Waters Trout Opener for those of you grounded enough to behave on New Year’s Eve. Fishing for trout is a lot more fun if you aren’t nursing a hangover, at least that is my excuse for not going out to the bar anymore. I think Rachelle and I stayed up until 10:30 p.m. last year before falling asleep on the couch. What a difference two children have made in our lives.
The regular trout season will not open until January 17 so it is worth fishing some B-Dub waters before the arctic blast of mid-winter is upon us. Make sure you choose a lake that is “entirely” within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area since most of our bigger lakes are only partially within the park, Saganaga, Gunflint, Sea Gull, Clearwater, and Magnetic to name a few.
Designated trout lakes within the B-Dub are usually a good choice for opening weekend but there are special regulations on these lakes to remember. The use of live minnows is prohibited and each angler is allowed one pole to fish with. I find that a small jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head works about anywhere for any species.
Trout like to cover a lot of water in a day so it is best to set up on a piece of shoreline in 6-12 feet of water and wait for the fish to come to you. These pristine lakes are so clear that many times in my ice house I can see the fish investigate and take the bait.
I cannot speak for Saganaga Lake, since I have not been up there in awhile, but Gunflint Lake still has open water on the east end. Temperatures are supposed to start dropping this week so maybe it will lock up pretty soon but I would not trust it anytime soon.
Most of the lakes that have been frozen for a while are showing over 12 inches of hard ice. We have a permanent icehouse to put out on Gunflint once it is safe enough for a vehicle. It will be fun spending some time with the kids this winter in a toasty warm shack while fishing for lakers.
A few of our friends have been asking about the current snow conditions and it appears that people are skiing and snowmobiling the trails, but I don’t believe they are in great shape yet. I can still see some grassy spots on the snowmobile trails that have already been groomed and rolled, which is typical for this time of year. The mid- Trail area near Poplar seems to have a little more snow than the upper half of the Gunflint Trail which is common, but all of the trails are currently open for use.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218- 388-0315. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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