The ice fishing season for 2013 is winding down and the ice should be safe on the lakes for a while yet. Fishing regulations become confusing this time of year since walleyes, trout, and northern pike are still open—as long as you are on the right lake.
Minne sota/ Ontar i o border lakes, such as Saganaga and Gunflint, are open for lake trout until March 31, walleyes until April 14, and northern pike are continuous. Trout close on all inland (non-border) lakes at the end of March. Walleyes and northern are currently closed on non-border lakes, which is why Trail Center is hosting a fishing contest on Poplar Lake for eel pout (burbot), perch, whitefish, and crappies. Poplar Lake has other species of fish but the targeted fish are the only ones that are continuously open for fishing throughout the year.
The three-day contest began at 8 a.m. March 29 and runs until noon on the 31st. The entry fee is $20 and includes a free pancake breakfast on Saturday or Sunday. There will be raffle tickets and random prizes including lunch for two on the ice from Windigo Lodge.
Qualifying fish caught on Poplar Lake must be turned in to Trail Center and the longest fish of each category will win a cash prize. A long underwear contest will be on Saturday night at Windigo Lodge. It sounds like a lot of fun and with a little luck the weather might even cooperate.
I have spent a fair amount of time fishing Poplar and there are a fair number of eel pout and whitefish in the lake, however crappies and perch will be much harder to find. It should be interesting to see what is caught this weekend since this lake does not get very much fishing pressure in the winter.
Saganaga and Gunflint were the two most productive lakes for me this week. Saganaga gave up some nice lake trout with a steady bite on Friday in the bright sunshine. My face burned and now I am sporting the classic “raccoon eyes” since I did not think to bring any sunscreen. I don’t normally get to look this cool until July.
Forty feet was the hot depth and they were staying tight to the bottom. Sag is fun to fish right now since the action is good and the bald eagles put on an entertaining show. They fly around playfully and are quick to mop up any remains left by the ice anglers. They appear to be healthy even though they are scavenging for leftover ciscoes and fish guts.
Gunflint has also been producing a few fish in the same depth. The lake trout always seem to run a little bigger on Gunflint and the meat is nice and orange.
It is a beautiful time to be outside on the Gunflint Trail. There is still a good base of snow up here and the ice is so thick my auger is bottoming out. Before long we will be ice fishing in 60-degree weather and this long, windy, and bitter cold winter will all be a memory.
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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