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Posts: 38
| I am planning a canoe trip and an wondering what lakes or groups of lakes hold Ski's in the BWCA or Quantico. Feel free to PM any intel you may have. |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | Quantico, VA? Not sure if there are muskies that far downstream in the Potomac River.
I'm just being a smart a$$, I know you meant Quetico. |
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Posts: 101
Location: mn | There are some big pike up there. Had to fight to keep my stringer of walleyes from what seemed to be a mid forties pike last time up. I don't believe muskies cruz the bwca. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | There's no Muskies in the BWCA...or Quetico in Canada, which is what I assume you meant... |
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Posts: 38
| Sorry, about the typo. "Quetico" as in the Canadian park. |
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Location: MN | I have never heard of muskies in the BWCA but there are some lakes near the fringe which have some remnant populations from old stocking of the Shoepack strain. |
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| A dumb question from the East: What is the BWCA? Border Waters Canoe Area? |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | boundary waters canoe area |
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Posts: 221
Location: Detroint Lakes, MN |
Muskies have been stocked in the BWCA. Two lakes off of the Gunflint Trail have them. Not sure when the last time they were stocked though. Any stockings after the early 80's a Leech fish, not shoepac.
Muskies have also been sporadically caught in some of the Lakes in the Quetico and Ely side of BWCA.
JS |
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Posts: 536
| dumbell in lake couty and crescent lake in cook county are both in the arrow head, crescent lake is all shoepac strain the stocking ended in 79 there and none stocked since all naturally reproduced shoepac! I think dumbell has some shoepac genes left don't know how much but seems to be getting bigger fish now in the mid 40's and what not! last stocking there was in 97! both you can drive right too with a regular boat no need for a canoe! not sure what's up in quetico for ski
Edited by leech lake strain 7/2/2010 2:28 PM
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Posts: 264
| plenty of big pike in there, don't know about muskies though |
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| Shoepac is the name of a lake in voyagers national forest that has shoepac strain muskies in it. You get there through kabetogama. No motors are allowed so its like the bwca. I had e few buddys that fished it last summer and caught quite a few. Most of them were 25-30 inches with a few bigger. They used bass fishing gear, jitterbugs and hulapoppers were what they used.
Dumbell is a great little lake with very little pressure. It has crazy structure and an endless amount of spots to fish. They used to have a great campsite or two but camping is no longer allowed there. You can camp at devide lake which is just down the road a couple miles. I think they have three campsites on devide. Just remember to drive slow on dumbell, lots of rocks. Decent walleye jonesin on dumbell to if you're into that sorta thing. Great area up there.
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| I'll be the jerk here....kinda seems silly to be discussing a "great little lake with no fishing pressure" on a public forum and expecting it to stay that way doesn't it? especially considering the lake is not in the BWCA and therefore not pertinent to his question. |
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Posts: 676
Location: Wisconsin | If it is in the BWCA, your probably not going to see 50 guys with Rangers and Lunds hitting the lake. These are canoe / portage lakes that take work to get to. |
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Posts: 1286
Location: WI | East Pike lake has muskies in it. I have no idea on what strain (prob shoepack) or avg size. I know it's a fairly popular lake on the eastern (gunflint) side of the BW. |
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Posts: 7
| Great "jerk" comment from a "guest." If you read my post it says, "great little lake with very little pressure," I did not say there was "no" fishing pressure. People do fish it and if you buy the Sportsmans Connection Minnesota Muskies map book sold at any muskie tackle shop or gander mountain, they have information about Dumbell and about 50 other lakes in Minnesota. So its not like this lake has never been heard of. I also didn't say the fishing was all that good either. I have fished it a handful of times and had decent luck on 2 different occasions. So I wouldn't consider it an unknown honeyhole, plus most of the fish are in the mid to upper 30's. But for the area, its a great little muskie lake with very little pressure. The northshore area doesn't have a lot of muskie lakes, so for the area, its great!
And if your being the "jerk" because you fish this lake and don't want to anyone to know about it, open your eyes. Most people who do a lot of muskie fishing in northern Minnesota have heard of the lake, but its not one of the top 10 or 20 big ones in the state so you don't here about it too often.
And you are right, its not in the boundary waters, but if you look above, someone mentioned Dumbell lake and Cresent lake as other options that are near the boundary waters. Having fished the lake a handful of times, I shared what I knew about the lake.
So, as I stated before, its a great little lake and area and more people should try it out. Great lake to fish blind with the vast amount of structure that can hold fish and there won't be much for worries about people cutting you off on spots or crowding you.
And, "guest" if you want anymore information on smaller lakes that aren't talked about much, let me know. I've made many trips to lakes just like this in Minnesota!
Edited by Marc Reynolds 7/3/2010 3:58 PM
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Posts: 335
Location: Minnesota | Thanks for the comments Marc. That is what this forum is for I thought. I don't believe you will see an influx of pressure out there now. |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | 'That is what this forum is for I thought'
You are correct. |
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Posts: 219
| Thanks Marc, As Steve said this is what it is all about sharing info I LOVE helping people catch muskies and I know I share maybe a little to much about the area I fish on the Woods. There are a lot a** holes out there that like to just cause trouble and complain. LOL
Darren |
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Posts: 38
| Thanks for the intel Marc! Heading up that way next weekend, going to try Dumbell and Crescent. Any baits or techniques you would recommend?
I have about 30 hours on the lake this year via canoe and kayak and have still not connected on that elusive first musky. Hoping this trip north will give me a chance to finally put one in the boat. |
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Posts: 536
| promod1385 - 7/8/2010 10:56 PM
Thanks for the intel Marc! Heading up that way next weekend, going to try Dumbell and Crescent. Any baits or techniques you would recommend?
I have about 30 hours on the lake this year via canoe and kayak and have still not connected on that elusive first musky. Hoping this trip north will give me a chance to finally put one in the boat.
So how'd you do? did you put one in the boat! even know these arent known as big fish waters I have always been interested in fishing them! |
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Location: MN | Crescent is a great lake to fish with new people or kids. There is a campground on the lake and the musky fishing can be great for action / small fish. I grew up camping on the lake and fishing for musky out there while my family fished for walleyes in another boat. I was twelve years old fishing the lake in a 12ft jon boat and could go out for a day and put 7 in the boat. I have never caught a fish from the lake over 40", all shoepack, but still lots of fun. Bass tackle is all you need.
Edited by Mak51 7/13/2010 11:41 AM
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Posts: 304
Location: Lino Lakes, MN | I remember quite well a fish in Gaskin Lake in the BWCA(not far from Poplar Lake). A very large Esox (to me and my dad at the time) followed in a little blue Rapala. I don't know if it was a Northern Pike or Muskie but it followed just like a muskie and I remember the green tint to it -not the black like most Northern pike seem to be.
Back in aroun the late 70's-----
I also remembe a small Muskie being caught on the Kawishawi River NW of Malberg. Striking markings again in the 70's.
It could be where I caught the bug---damm expensive bug--- Shock treatments at an early age would have left me way ahead!!!! I have been feeding the bug since 1987 or 88-- Maybee shock therapy would not be such a bad idea tomorrow!!!!
Steve |
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