It’s only been two weeks of Boundary Waters trout fishing and I am already tired of it. Don’t get me wrong, fishing for trout is more fun than most of the alternatives right now but I am ready for all of the lakes to be open. So many lakes and so little time.
Hiking in the B-Dub to fish for trout has been pretty good so far but the ice is getting deeper every day and the eight-inch hand auger is kicking my butt. I tell the customers that I will gladly drill holes for them to fish in however, I add, “It is good luck to drill your own hole.” So far it has only worked once.
Saturday, the 12th day of January, marks the annual winter season trout opener in Minnesota and there are so many lakes I want to fish. If the weather is cooperative I plan to be fishing on the Minnesota side of Saganaga Lake. We will still have to hike to our spot and employ the dreaded hand auger since it is a Boundary Waters lake, but I think it will be worth the extra effort.
Last September I found a nice school of lake trout on a spot that is not too far of a hike from the corridor. It would be nice to hit this spot before the hiking gets tougher and the ice gets thicker.
The trout have spawned since last September in the shallow water but they like to use the same deep reefs (40-60 feet of water) throughout the rest of the year. With a little luck they will have returned to the reef and are waiting for us on Saturday. It would also be nice if they were hungry…and big!
Saganaga Lake has a great population of lake trout that usually like to bite. The Canadian side is a little more favorable to fish for me since I can sit on a snowmobile and use the power auger. Both sides of the lake produce nice fish but it is just easier to do on the Canadian side since it does not have the Boundary Waters’ restrictions. Ontario’s lake trout season runs from February 1 until March 31. Short and sweet.
The trail reports this week are not looking good. We still have some snow up here but the recent blast of warm temperatures is not going to make very many people happy. Some Nordic skiers are adapting to the diminishing trails by skiing on the lakes. The light snow cover is nice for skate skiing across the icy lakes and they can travel pretty fast.
Last Saturday I was guiding some folks on Daniels and we watched a guy ski across the lake with little effort. He was moving faster than I have ever seen anyone move on skis before. Granted there was a 20 mile-per-hour tailwind pushing him. Nonetheless it was very impressive to watch.
We were also impressed to see a group of campers that day as well. Winter camping does not seem like it would be a good time. I would be too worried about surviving, but they appeared to be enjoying themselves. It is nice to see the woods being utilized year round by everyone. Ice anglers, campers and Nordic skiers simultaneously enjoying the same lake. Pretty cool.
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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