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Posts: 54
Location: Madison wi | My girlfriend and I are planning our first trip to the Hayward area in spring of 2015. we are staying 3 nights at virgin timber resort on moose lake. Im told its very dark water, very shallow, lots of timber, little to no weeds and bottom is 75% rock. im from the madiosn area and most of my hunting has been focused on weeedlines, most lakes around me have very little rock. Any tips on location or presentions would be great. Being so early in the spring, should we focus more on the rivers vs the lake? we were thinking about staying june 1st through 4th, with full moon being the 3rd. Im thinking the water temps might be pretty cold still being that far north and so early in the year still. Do you think it would be better to wait a couple weeks until mid june around the new moon peroid? maybe the action would better if we waited for the water to warm a bit more. Also does anyone have any luck dragging a sucker this time of the year while casting? We arnt concerned with big size, we would just like to have some good action. If anyone have any experience with moose lake or virgin timber resort please share, thanks in advance! |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | I have no advice, but am interested in hearing responses. I plan on making a trip to Moose Lake sometime next year as well.
I do know there is a bait shop on the lake where you can get suckers. |
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Posts: 632
Location: S.W. WI | IMHO, Moose can be a decent lake for the cooler water periods of the season. I do not think June 1st is too early because this is one of the first lakes to warm up given it's shallow and DARK water. But depending on the spring- water could be 55 or 70 by then.
It is basically a river dammed up to make the lake, meaning there is a deeper channel area thru the middle of the lake, and large stump filled shallow areas off the sides of the main basin. Virgin Timber Resort is down towards the deeper part of the lake.
Fish the stump fields like they are weed beds. Use bucktails, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, topwaters in bright colors. There are some weeds, but very shallow and not a lot of them.
I do not fish Moose much any more, but I did best in stumpy bays in the 2-6 foot range. Generally, when you are in 6 ft. deep or less- you could hit a stump at any time. You can see maybe 2 feet down in the water. Tanic stained, very dark.
Edited by Rudedog 12/6/2014 9:48 PM
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Posts: 675
Location: Twin Cities, MN | Moose is a dark lake, yes, in fact most would call it coffee stained. I have always enjoyed fishing it.
There are a number of options for you, but working the timber would be best if my book. You may find some thin weeds around a few islands, and if so, they would be worth checking out.
Brown / Orange with copper blade bucktail was always my first choice. You will want something lighter like a ghosttail 100 to move around the timber and keep above it from time to time. I would highly suggest a lure retriever also to dig your lures out of timber from time to time. Don't be afraid to cast right up to the shore and when work back across the stumps or through them.
A nice top water would be my second choice as it does a nice job staying above the timber. No need to race it back to the boat, a nice steady medium retrieve seems to be best.
You will also see jerkbaits getting used, so a nice bobbie to work in and out of the timber is my option # 3.
As is suggested here many times, perhaps the best thing you can do is hire a guide to show you around a bit and help your learning curve on the lake. I am pretty sure Larry Ramsell still guides, and he has always done a great job for me and my partners when I went out with him.
Good Luck
Pal |
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Posts: 1296
Location: WI | If it's like the last 2 springs, bring an ice chisel or an auger. |
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Posts: 146
Location: Alsip, IL | My uncle lives on moose. It's a good lake for numbers. There is a long channel that the locals called the "Rice Patties" it's a creek or something that flows in but its all weeds and only open water right down the middle, you can get a boat quite a ways up there. We got 5 fish from 33 to 39 in 2 hours up there all on top raiders. It was an absolute blast. Got 2 more out on the main lake fishing stumps and an island, I caught both of those fish on a clown color mepps #5. We were there for my birthday which is June 6th.
Edited by mecoltin123 12/7/2014 5:39 PM
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Posts: 54
Location: Madison wi | All seems like great advice. Thanks all
Edited by billy bucher 3/17/2015 9:35 AM
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Posts: 556
| I have fished it multiple times--all the info given is good advice---Heavy stained water---Fish are shallow in spring--timber and any vegetation found will be your best spots. small buctails / spinnerbaits and topwaters work well, Most fish will be 40" or less but the lake can be a blast with action if you hit it right. And --GOOD ADVICE GIVEN on casting right up to shore around downed timber---get in there---if you get hung up fishing shallow you can usually recover the bait---and it will be worth it to fish shallow---I like the spinner baits worked around that timer up shallow---Spinner baits are harder to hang up so you can pitch them right up in there. |
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Posts: 54
Location: Madison wi | I see that there are several small islands on moose lake. Does anyone know if any of these are public land or if it would be a problem to camp on one for a night? Or maybe who i would contact that could give me an answer |
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Posts: 140
Location: Scandia MN | Can anyone tell me about the USFS campground on Moose? Can I maneuver my 25 foot motorhome pulling my 18 foot Yar-Craft around it? Ramp, pull through, condition of the road going in, does it fill up? |
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Posts: 334
Location: Madison, WI | I feel like black skirt/orange doubled bladed rabid squirrels were created for this lake. gold blades and purple skirt worked great too. Very dark lake. |
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Posts: 25
Location: NW Wisconsin | billy bucher - 3/17/2015 9:33 AM
I see that there are several small islands on moose lake. Does anyone know if any of these are public land or if it would be a problem to camp on one for a night? Or maybe who i would contact that could give me an answer
I'd give Louies Landing a call. They're pretty nice in there and should be able to tell you more about them.
Or you could always just call the DNR "public access" contact. DNR's website lists it as Max Wolter - 715-634-9658 - [email protected]
Edited by SixOught 4/6/2015 4:15 PM
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