Despite the road construction delays in Duluth and Hinckley, the Gunflint Trail is still seeing its share of tourism this summer. The day use motor permits for Saganaga Lake have been used up each week and the lake is as busy as I have ever seen it. The parking lots at the two public boat launches are packed and people are all over the lake enjoying the nice weather.
It does not matter if you are in Key West, Florida or the Arrowhead of Minnesota—tourism is a volatile business to be in. Successful seasons are hard to predict and even harder to be prepared for.
Every year my guiding business gets a little busier, and this season has already proven to be a record breaker for me. I love fishing, but the daily grind is starting to take a toll on captain and equipment. It is imperative to “make hay while the sun shines,” because the season to earn is short.
In my business, bent rods equal return customers. Saganaga Lake has been in a slump, so to keep my customers happy, we have been fishing over on Northern Light (N.L.) Lake in Ontario. The daily trek to Northern Light Lake is about 30 minutes, and although it is as pretty as a person could ever ask to see, the long boat ride wears me out.
It is rewarding to watch my first time customers’ amazement at the majestic steep shorelines of the northeast arm on Saganaga as we approach Horsetail Falls, which is actually flowing again due to the recent rainfall. This is my favorite part of the ride and some would agree that it is the prettiest section of Saganaga Lake.
I often wish that Sag could produce similar numbers of fish, for convenience sake, but it simply cannot touch the action on N.L. Lake. It is hard to explain why the lake has so much more life in it, but it does. The DNR has been netting fish on Saganaga for research purposes each year and their detailed report can be read online at www.dnr.state.mn.us. It is very interesting.
The website lists every lake that is surveyed in Minnesota with vital information about each individual study. Everything from water quality to mercury content is listed on their informational pages, as well as stocking efforts and netting results.
Saganaga Lake’s information did not really surprise me much except that 21 percent of the walleyes surveyed last year were stocked fish. That might seem normal except that Saganaga has only been stocked with walleye fry twice—2009 and 2010. If 21 percent of the fish netted were from a hatchery than it would lead one to believe that the natural reproducers are not very strong. Their studies also determined that 2007 was the last strong year class of walleyes that Sag has produced.
Many people scoff at stocking efforts, but if 21 percent of our current walleye population has been stocked then I am all for it. Saganaga was once a premier walleye lake and it would be pretty cool if it could bounce back. It takes only four years for a walleye fry to reach 14.2 inches—to be an eater—which amazed me. I thought it would take twice that time. The web site also has contact information and believe it or not, our opinions do matter to the DNR. One of the reasons they stocked Sag in ’09 and ’10 was due to our concerns, so let them know!
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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