Hot, muggy, weather must be good for fishing, because anglers have been reporting success. Here’s what John at Buck’s Hardware has been hearing:
The walleye are biting on night crawlers at Lake Saganaga in eight feet of water. Fishermen suggest trolling slowly over the weed beds. On Hungry Jack, walleye are a little deeper at 12 feet, caught with jig and minnow. Two Island Lake fishermen are trolling with Rapala’s or slip bobbers and leeches. On Homer Lake (watch for rocks!), walleye are biting in 15 feet of water on minnows. Crescent Lake walleyes are also being caught in 15 – 18 feet of water, but leeches have been better bait. Fishing is hot on Devil Fish Lake. Anglers are catching a lot of small walleyes with leeches and Lindy rigs.
Lake trout are being caught much deeper. On Saganaga, they have been in 40 feet of water with jig and minnows or trolling spoons and on Seagull in 35 – 50 feet of water with trolling spoons. On Gunflint Lake they are even deeper, in 50 feet of water and ciscoes seem to be the lake trout favorite this week.
The Fabyanski party had a great trip with Captain Darren Peck of Tofte Charters on Saturday, July 3, landing this 18-pound, 37-inch lake trout. The trout was released.
Smallmouth bass are being caught on Hungry Jack Lake in 18 feet of water with crawlers and on Devil Fish with jigs and minnows. Crescent Lake anglers recommend trolling and casting with Mepp’s spinners or using buck shot lures close to the shoreline.
Fly-fishing for rainbow trout has been great on Leo Lake, but Leo has also given up rainbow off the bottom using crawlers. Rainbows are also being caught in Kimball Lake in 20 – 22 feet of water using drifting minnows or by slow trolling. Trout Lake rainbow are also being caught in 20 – 22 feet, but they seem to prefer crawlers.
Northern pike are being caught on Hungry Jack Lake in 12 – 15 feet of water using sucker minnows around weed beds. They are also hitting in Northern Light River. Best results have been trolling with Dare Devils.
There has been good action for king salmon just outside the Grand Marais Harbor, in 80 – 100 feet of water with trolling spoons.
Paul Dahl caught this 46-inch lake sturgeon at the base of Chatterton Falls, Quetico Provincial Park. It took 1 hour and 50 minutes to land this fish on an eight-pound test line. The fish was photographed and released.
Anders Zimmer, with his brother, Damian, show off the 15.9 pound lake trout Anders caught on Clearwater Lake. The fish was 35.5 inches long.
Four-year-old Evan MacLean of Mankato caught his first-ever walleye while visiting a lake in Cook County earlier this month. The 18 ½-inch walleye was caught on a very tiny children’s rod and reel using a worm for bait. Evan’s grandparents are Dave and Bonnie MacLean of Devil Track Lake. Evan’s family said he is still talking about his fish.
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