Fishing Information for the BWCA and Quetico
Even if you've never wet a line, the Boundary Waters can thrill you. The kids especially love the tug of their first fish and we old timers love that just as much. Each wilderness lake you visit will have bass, northern pike and walleye. In some deep cold lakes live lake trout. You don't need to be an expert here. Troll a Rapala wherever you go and you, too, can catch enough fish to make a shore lunch or dinner at camp. We also practice catch and release so that future generations can enjoy the incredible fishing that the Boundary Waters and Quetico have to offer.
Walleye
State record – 17 lbs, 8 oz on Seagull River in Cook County
Early spring spawn
Moving water, shallow bars and reefs
They like hard bottoms
Mid-summer -- flats, points, reefs, islands to deep water
August – toughest time
September -- can be tough, check reefs
Do not use a leader for best results, keep your bait presented as natural as possible. Be responsive to subtle vibrations of your rod or line across your finger.
Suggested lures:
Spring – crankbaits
Summer – jigs (1/8th oz) and rigs
Mid-late summer – trolling jigs and spinners deep
Smallmouth Bass (AKA Bronzeback)
State record – 8 lbs on West Battle Lake in Otter Tail County
Spawn in June – they are in the shallows, incredible action
Mid-summer – reefs and points near deeper water, structure
September – start going deep, harder to catch
Suggested lures:
Tiny torpedos, poppers, Mepps spinners, crank baits, Berkley Gulp and jigs
Northern Pike (Water Wolves)
State record – 45 lbs, 12 oz on Basswood Lake in Cook County
Early spring spawn
September and October – “Pike Fest” as they are hungry
Love weed beds, fish the edges/parallel to them
September – shallow feeders
Use a leader
Suggested lures:
Large poppers, torpedos, spinners (red/orange/nickel), Dardevle, large crankbaits
Lake Trout
State record – 43 lbs, 8 oz on Lake Superior in Cook County
Shallow in early -- mid May
Fall spawn – late September
Like rocks and rubble that drop quickly
Shallow to deep (can be very deep) back to shallow in fall
Suggested lures:
When in the shallows use crank baits. Troll during the summer with deep running crankbaits (orange, blue, chrome, chartreuse), spoons, bucktail jigs
Crappie, Bluegill, Sunfish
Slip bobber fishing is the best and most fun.
Small hooks with crappie minnows and a split shot up about a foot and a half or tiny "flu flu" tied jigs with small hooks. Find the school of paper mouths and you'll have a tasty meal. Great fun for kids. Size doesn't gauge the fun here. Try 2 feet deep along the weed beds in the heat of summer when the sun is falling down to touch the tips of the treeline. Look for fallen trees and other structure. They like to hide there. If it is a hot day, remember "sunnies" or sunfish aren't like walleye, they can still be found when "ole big eyes" heads for the shadows of the deep.