For the first time in many years I am actually talking my “Canada ready” customers into staying on Saganaga rather than portaging over to Northern Light Lake. There have been some good reports from Northern Light Lake this year but most of them are coming from the opposite end of the lake, near the resort, and that is a long drive for anyone coming from the Saganaga side.
Saganaga has produced many excellent days of walleye fishing this year, despite what the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) test net results have shown, or the grim opinions of a few under experienced anglers in the area. The average walleye caught on Saganaga is between 14 and 16 inches, which the DNR nets could not find, and there are a lot of them. We have been catching between 15 and 30 walleyes every day and are only able to keep one fish that happens to fall between the very tight regulations of 17-20 inches.
The new regulations are absurd. We are now forced to keep bigger fish than we normally would and let go the predominant population of perfectly sized eaters. Way to go.
On the other side of the lake in Ontario, where the laws actually make sense, we keep the little walleyes and throw back the bigger fish that are going to produce more spawn. The decision for this experimental regulation seems to be fueled more by politics than common sense.
I care about Saganaga Lake and I have not seen a significant change in the fishery since I started guiding on it in 1996. Some might argue differently, but I doubt they are spending 100 days a summer fishing it like me. I would even go as far as saying that the action today on Saganaga Lake is better than I have seen in many years. Saganaga has never been an easy lake to find fish because there are over 19,000 acres for them to hide in. Big lakes generally are not easy, and this one did not need any “help.”
Anglers need help, not lakes, so I would advise trying slip bobbers with a lively leech this week since they have been working well as fish descend a little deeper on the rock piles. Walleyes tend to have an ever-changing comfort zone depending on the conditions that day. Bright skies push them a little deeper while overcast allows them to be shallower. Jig heads baited with either a leech or crawler are a great way to fish fast and cover a lot of ground until a pattern can be established. Once you have found fish switch to slip bobbers and catch more fish on those same spots, it works.
Hawg report
(released)
. July 8
Cory Christianson
32-inch walleye
Saganaga Lake
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.
Leave a Reply