The wild weather lately has been making it tough to work outside, and even tougher to host outdoor events. It seems to rain every few days, especially on Sundays, and it has been coming down with a vengeance. Our rental boats filled up with water so fast that I had to pump them out twice in just a few hours.
Big rains in the spring create some fishing opportunities that I would otherwise tend to ignore during low water times because of the increased level of difficulty during low water seasons. Larch Creek is a good example of a river that is much easier to navigate with a little extra water under the canoe.
The Granite River system that connects Gunflint Lake to Saganaga is also a better trip during high water but not for the same reasons. Fish will stay in and around the deeper rivers, while the rainfall continues to recharge them with nutrients, oxygen, and food. The walleyes are the first to leave the rivers once they begin to warm, but the smallmouth bass and pike can be found there throughout the season.
We used to float down the first set of rapids leaving Magnetic Bay with snorkel gear, life vests, and homemade fishing poles. It is a beautiful riverbed of smooth rocks the size of basketballs in gin clear water, and usually not warm enough for me to swim in until the 4th of July, but might be the 4th of August this year.
I would take a green limb about three feet long and tie six feet of fishing line to the skinnier end of the stick and a ¼-ounce jig-head dressed up with a white mister twister tail tied to the business end. It is a fun way to spend a hot summer day, floating down a lazy river while sight fishing for smallmouth. Now we just need those hot summer days to warm the water.
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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