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Posts: 49
Location: Minocqua, WI | Hey folks...I'm hoping to just gather some general feedback. My brother and I go yearly to Ontario. We fish either Wabigoon out of Dryden or Nestor Falls LOTW's. On LOTW's we fish between Nestor Falls and as far west as Blueberry islands/King Island area.
We want to try something new and are considering the following:
Tamarack Island Lodge out of Morson
Birchdale Lodge - Eagle Lake
Cedar Lake Island Lodge - Cedar Lake
Keystone Lodge - Cedar Lake
We bring our own boat and food. A plus for us is the occasional eater size pike. Of course we all want big Musky! My brother has got a few upper 40's fish, but is still looking to get his first 50. I'm really trying hard to put him in position to hit that!
I'd appreciate any ones experienced thoughts with regards to these resorts. It appears from my research that each one has a pretty good reputation and we probably can't go wrong. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | LOTW or Eagle. Cedar sucks.
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Posts: 136
| Couldn’t agree more. Was my favorite lake but now it’s bumper boats due to constant shameless plugs by TV stars. Eagle all day long for my money these days but to each his own. |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | My buddy just bought this resort. Its a great resort!!
http://whitefishbaycamp.com/
He just did some major upgrades to this camp too!!!
Edited by Tackle Industries 2/10/2018 9:13 PM
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Posts: 9
| Hands down I would say Tamarack. I have been going there for 14 or 15 years. I love the fishing. The water is slightly stained (2-4' of visibility) so you do not have to make a perfect presentation but you can still see follows. My buddy who has been coming to Tamarack with me for about 10 years used to fish Eagle. He caught more muskie in his first trip to Tamarack than he did in three trips to Eagle. |
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Posts: 49
Location: Minocqua, WI | Thanks guys! I appreciate all the feedback and will watch for more. I met the owner of Tamarack at the Milwaukee Musky show yesterday. He seems like a really good guy. The feedback on Cedar makes sense as up until the last couple years on tv, I had not heard of it either.
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | I will second Tamarack. Fantastic location, don't have to run far in any direction to find good fishing. Todd and his family really look out for you. Really enjoy sharing the day's action in the lodge at night with all the other guys and see what worked or didn't. We are shooting for 4 trips again this year. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Hard pass on Cedar, too many resorts on that body of water for that far of a drive.
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Location: Contrarian Island | hard to beat Lake of the Woods.. a great week on LOTW is 2 x as many fish as a great week on Eagle... lots of guys go to Eagle and come back with their tail between their legs... you have to hit a really bad week weather wise on LOTW not to do fairly well... I'd lean LOTW
Edited by BNelson 2/15/2018 10:17 AM
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | BNelson - 2/15/2018 10:16 AM
hard to beat Lake of the Woods.. a great week on LOTW is 2 x as many fish as a great week on Eagle... lots of guys go to Eagle and come back with their tail between their legs... you have to hit a really bad week weather wise on LOTW not to do fairly well... I'd lean LOTW
Shhh....keep pushing them to Eagle, Vermilion and Mylie’s 
Edited by Musky Brian 2/15/2018 10:53 AM
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Posts: 1636
| Staying in Morson will put you closer to both new and familiar water. That is a great area. Buena Vista Resort is another good one to consider. Good luck! |
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Posts: 330
Location: SE Wisc | Musky Brian - 2/15/2018 10:52 AM
BNelson - 2/15/2018 10:16 AM
hard to beat Lake of the Woods.. a great week on LOTW is 2 x as many fish as a great week on Eagle... lots of guys go to Eagle and come back with their tail between their legs... you have to hit a really bad week weather wise on LOTW not to do fairly well... I'd lean LOTW
Shhh....keep pushing them to Eagle, Vermilion and Mylie’s : )
Yeah, it’s a real secret! Don’t say anything! |
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Posts: 1968
| Brian I had to chuckle..for years I read your posts and the best lake in Ontario was Eagle!.. Well until you start fishing lotw! ?? |
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Posts: 1636
| Brian has been around the block a few times. I think he has multiple favorites |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | IAJustin - 2/15/2018 9:15 PM
Brian I had to chuckle..for years I read your posts and the best lake in Ontario was Eagle!.. Well until you start fishing lotw! ??
Haven’t been to Eagle once in 8 years since I started fishing the Angie.
Was there some type of contract I signed in which I wasn’t allowed to change my mind if I found something more to my liking ??
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Location: Contrarian Island | 20 years ago I thought Wingra was the coolest lake too !  |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | I also have a new preferred woman, a preferred dog breed, and a couple new bands I like better now since 2010 too.
Just thought I’d get that on record too |
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Posts: 296
| Birch Dale on Eagle is a great place to stay and a great deal (particularly housekeeping plan) compared to other resorts on Eagle. Cal Ritchie works out of there if your in need of guide or some friendly advice. Eagle is tougher than LOTW, but the fish are longer and heavier on average as well. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | Eagle is tougher than LOTW, but the fish are longer and heavier on average as well.???
I beg to difer... I've watched results from lots of guys going to both lakes for ~10 yrs. I've been going to LOTW since 2011.
While I do think the upper end fish might be longer in Eagle.. with the advent of the 54" size limit from what I've seen the avg size might be a touch better on Lotw now than eagle.. last year my boat had 29 fish with 11 over 48 and 16 over 45... 4 over 50 to 52... while we haven't popped a 54 yet... we have seen enough to know we have our shots... I also see plenty of pics of average to skinny fish from Eagle every year posted on facebook...
both great bodies of water, but guys that think fish are skinny or not long on lotw clearly haven't fished there much, or at all.
Edited by BNelson 2/16/2018 10:58 AM
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Posts: 1636
| Lake of the Woods fish might not have the bellies all the time... but, they are thick, meaty fish. A "skinny" fish on Lake of the Woods can weigh just as much as a fat fish from other places. |
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Posts: 297
Location: Not where I want to be! | Been fishing the Tamrack area since 2003. When we first started there we might have seen 1 or 2 muskie boats a day. (in July) Now often times take a number thanks to a few Wisconsin guides and now will get even worse thanks to the muskie TV stars. I do believe Eagle is a prettier body of water. |
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Posts: 612
| BNelson - 2/16/2018 11:55 AM
Eagle is tougher than LOTW, but the fish are longer and heavier on average as well.???
I beg to difer... I've watched results from lots of guys going to both lakes for ~10 yrs. I've been going to LOTW since 2011.
While I do think the upper end fish might be longer in Eagle.. with the advent of the 54" size limit from what I've seen the avg size might be a touch better on Lotw now than eagle.. last year my boat had 29 fish with 11 over 48 and 16 over 45... 4 over 50 to 52... while we haven't popped a 54 yet... we have seen enough to know we have our shots... I also see plenty of pics of average to skinny fish from Eagle every year posted on facebook...
both great bodies of water, but guys that think fish are skinny or not long on lotw clearly haven't fished there much, or at all.
I got to start fishing with this gentleman. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | it was a good week! but we fish smart, put 600 miles on the boat, and not worry about the gas bill...all things being equal I will take a 7 days on LOTW over any other water that I have been to ..yet... and I have been to Eagle...
Edited by BNelson 2/22/2018 2:34 PM
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Posts: 304
| " I will take a 7 days on LOTW over any other water that I have been to ..yet... and I have been to Eagle..."
Does that include Wingra?
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Location: Contrarian Island | |
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Posts: 7
| I would pick LOTW in a heartbeat, and Tamarack Wilderness Island lodge in my opinion is your best choice for LOTW. I fished Eagle and Lac Seul exclusively for years, before I got invited to LOTW. I have never been back to Eagle or Lac Seul since. There is just no reason to drive that far to fish waters that are tougher to fish than LOTW. Also Todd Hacault the owner of Tamarack is the most accommodating camp owner I have ever worked with (and I've met a lot of them over the years). The fishing at Tamarack is second to none, the accommodations are clean and comfortable, really hard to ask for more! |
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Posts: 667
Location: Wisconsin | cnsrtv.............Great Verse!!!
someday I hope to get to LOTW. someday |
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Posts: 2751
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Cedar kicks a fisheries biologist's butt. LOL! I'd make a recommendation, but Lake X is right across the road from Cedar! Cedar was one of the most memorable Musky experiences ever. Crazy big fish in both lakes. If you need help Tyler Trampe can put you on fish, any species.
Herbie's a great choice too. So many great lakes , so little time.
Have fun!
Al |
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Posts: 2751
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | LOTW- Try Young's Wilderness Camp on Steven's Bay. Perry & crew do a great job! No need to travel great distances - great fishing.. My favorite photo from last year's trip - 11 year old Hunter Saemisch w/ 48.5" caught within sight of camp. If you can't catch a multiple muskie's there, you just need to throw your gear overboard too the Muskie God's.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1694327380602096&set=t.10000...
Crow(Kagagi) is a spectacular blue water lake too. So many lakes, so little time.
Have fun!
Al |
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Location: Eagle Lake Vermilion Bay, Ontario | interesting. im not gong to get into bashing lakes both are great lakes though entirely/totally diff. just a few observations and thoughts.
i can say the same or more as far as results on big fish over the years and numbers are very easy to throw around these days so i wont.. but certainly not avging 5-10 daily on every trip and avg fish over 48 to 52 every day .
but i fished LOWDs for years .first time to Eagle i encountered more fish over 52" to 56"+ in 5 days than i had in 8 + years on LOWDS and havent been back except for a get together here and there with old friends for day here or there. no doubt a great lake and they are typically easy biters. are there some giants..without doubt. but...
i do tend to disagree on the statement a 54" size limit is creating more 54"+ fish there. very few have the genetics to reach 54"+...on any lake thus the reason for the established 54" limit by the biologists with the MNR especially on a lake that has not routinley produced fish 54"+ for the past 50 years. Eagle has . every year. i know some anglers i respect as some of the best and innovative big fish anglers in canadian/LOWDS history could count the number of fish 54" less than the fingers on their hand they have boated over a 20++++ yr span. genetics dont change because of a # and i havent seen nor heard of more than totally a handful of fish that size or under been killed on both lakes combined in the past 12+ years or so.. but...except more fish than you think under that size die from mis. or over handling and there is not a lake in ontario that the pressure and thus catches has increased as much as LOWDs in the past 12-15 years. dramatic forage base changes could possibly increase size at least weight but also conversly but i think the size perceived and i say percieved as changing to bigger size and talked about are more about intelligent anglers fishing LOWDs differently because of the pressure and bigger water areas and diff patterns than traditionally has been done there mainly because of loss of shallow weed habitat in many areas and to escape the increased angling pressure in easier to get to areas .
some of the comments on eagle are from those who have not been there in awhile. quite awhile thus are not valid as 15 yrs ago..
contrarily eagle has without doubt changed much more dramatically in the other direction past 8-10 yrs. the pop. is exploding with lots of younger fish in the pop. of fish 38-46" for those needing action too (sounds a bit like lowds 10-15 yrs ago eah?) but the diff is as many fish 48-54++" as ever. why?? i find it hard to believe its the 54" limit ,they tend to protect themselves and also by anglers these days.. i believe its a # of factors but majorly because of the decrease in shallow pike populations which are i would make a guess is at least 50-75% less than 20-30 years ago. thus way better spawned survival.
there is no doubt lowds is one of the best musky fisheries in the beautiful scenic shield country of nw ontario,and a great place to boat numbers and a good fish up to and over 50". and eagle is a great lake with exploding numbers and historically as well as today one of the best chances at a true giant 52"-54"++ in NW ontario.
diff strokes,diff goals,for diff folks, best thing to do? fish em all at the right times!!!
tights lines open water coming soon!
steve herbeck
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