Brrrrr! It is down right cold this week on the Gunflint Trail with temperatures plummeting to the lower 30s. One morning there was even some light frost on the windshield of our vehicles. I finally got smart enough to cover the tomato plants with a tarp at night. It has taken me three years to produce tomatoes. You would think an Iowan could do better than that.
You have been listening to me brag about Northern Light Lake for quite sometime now, so I feel inclined to let you know that it was tough today. We caught four walleyes and a handful of smallmouth bass.
I think it would have been tough anywhere today. The air temperatures are frigid, but the water temperatures are averaging 64 degrees. As the Arctic winds begin to cool off the lakes the fish will begin to feed on a classic fall pattern. They know it is time to start putting on some fat for the winter. Until then, the walleye bite will be tough.
If there is ever a time of the year that I would prefer to fish Saganaga Lake over Northern Light, it is right now. I even prefer the Minnesota side over the Canadian side, mostly due to the lack of live minnows for sale in Canada, but also because of some great Minnesota spots. Minnesota boasts some of the best fall fishing that Saganaga Lake has to offer. The permits are gone for the rest of the month, but there is plenty of good fishing left in October.
A lot of anglers are intimidated by fall fishing because it is hard to find good spots. Anyone can find shoreline fish in the spring, but to find them on a 50-foot hump out in the middle is a whole different game. Deep spots are sacred. It takes good electronics and a lot of patience to find them. I might idle around for an hour without wetting a line. It takes a lot of “looking” to find deep fish, but it is well worth the extra time if you do.
Every fall someone finds a new “deep spot” that holds walleyes. It is some of the fastest action of the year. That is until they start getting trained to seeing baits with hooks attached to them. If you are careful not to abuse a new spot—or let anyone else abuse it—the spot can be productive for many years. Some of the deep humps have been pounded so hard by anglers that fish have left them and never returned. It is true. Even in my time I have seen very hot and consistent spots fizzle out.
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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