I finally “broke the ice” on this winter’s fishing season with a fair amount of success. My friend Roger Campbell and I decided to brave the high winds and test out my ice fishing equipment last week.
Everything was working great, and we managed to throw a couple of walleyes on the ice as well. Early season can be great fishing, especially on the smaller lakes. The fish we caught had some bugs in their stomachs, which usually coincides with muddy-bottom fishing. The hatches generally happen in the mud so naturally that is where the fish are.
Roger and I fished as deep as 12 feet on the edge of a weed bed and picked up a few northern and perch… Most mud flats up here are actually the same as the basin. In smaller lakes, that is usually the deepest water the lake offers. If you can find weeds up shallow, you should be able to find a deep edge where the weed line meets the basin. These spots are prime real estate conveniently located near oxygenated water and the bug hatches. Fish have everything they need.
The lack of snow has allowed for easier access to some lakes that would otherwise be difficult to reach by foot. It is a lot easier to hike on the lakes this time of year with very few snowdrifts to power through, and just enough snow on the lake for good traction.
The wind was a nuisance, but my new pop-up shelter was very comfortable to fish in. The heater kept us warm and the ice stakes kept everything from flying away.
Gunflint Lake has just started to skim over with ice on a portion of the main lake. While eating lunch at Gunflint Lodge on Monday, which was wonderful, we could see ice for a couple of hundred feet out.
However, we are working off of the Mile of Pine Road, on the east end of the lake, and there is still open water at the shoreline. According to Greg Gecas of Heston’s Lodge, the latest he can remember Gunflint Lake freezing-up was December 27, in the late ’70s. I think it will be even later this year. The high winds and mild temperatures are a bad recipe for ice making.
Many of you have been asking about the current snow conditions on the Gunflint Trail, and I can tell you that there is very little. Everything is white, and we have had to plow the driveway twice so far, but it would be futile to try and snowmobile yet. I know that the Nordic trails are groomed and ready, but we need a better base for the snowmobile trails.
The lack of snowfall can cause some problems other than just tourism. The snow acts as a good insulator which keeps septic lines from freezing. Foundations start to move around since the frost line is so deep, and we burn a lot more wood. The outside boiler line is buried and insulated, but a warm blanket of snow on top keeps the heat in the line, allowing us to burn less wood. So far the temperatures have barely been below zero at night and the daytime highs are in the comfortable 20s, but that will change.
Do a little snow dance for us up here and have a Merry Christmas.
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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