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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | I love looking at google maps trying to find new bodies of water to fish. Not just Muskie but for everything. I was looking at the northern Wisconsin and U.P. Area and I noticed that that there is a ton of small lakes that are hidden off in the woods with no access other than logging roads. Most of these lakes are well under 50 acres (most are around 25-40 acres). Do you thing that these would have any kind of Muskie population or northern pike population? I know that the DNR has not done anything with these lakes because when I contacted them and showed them the ones I was talking about (names of lakes don't show up on satalite, if they even have names) they have no maps no species of fish, no information on them at all. They seem "untouched" and that could be a good thing. Do you think these would be worth a few casts?
Edited by Musky_Mo16 1/14/2017 12:15 PM
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| I have fished a number of small walk in lakes but not for muskies. Bass, panfish is what we have caught. I suppose some could have muskies, in particular if there is a small creek coming in or out that eventually connects with a bigger body of water. |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Thanks for your input! Do you think that any of these lake could have good northern pike populations? Because I think I've heard some people in the past talking about small lakes like this having a insanely good population of eater size pike (30" and under)
Edited by Musky_Mo16 1/14/2017 1:19 PM
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Posts: 2326
Location: Chisholm, MN | If it's anything like MN, they all have pike. |
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Posts: 8782
| MY advice here would be to talk to the locals if you know any well enough to get honest information. Many of those small lakes are very infertile. You'll find stunted perch and panfish, hammer handle pike, and little more. With the right combination of forage and water chemistry, though, some can be winners. First step I would take is to drive around to some of them and see what kind of access you have. Many are private lakes, so unless you live on the lake (or know someone who does) you're out of luck. Others have landings that are difficult if not impossible to get a boat in and out of. Some are only accessible during high water, some become inaccessible. |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | I hope they have some pike, because that would be great if I could find "semi- untouched" spot to catch them because IMO pike are just as good eating as walleye!!
Edited by Musky_Mo16 1/14/2017 1:31 PM
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Thanks for the advice! It's sort of hard for me to contact any locals because I'm from Illinois but I go up there a few times every year. I do have some family up there but none of them fish. The DNR was able to tell me if the lakes I was interested in were private or not, and I think that there was 6 or 7 that were ok for me to fish. I'm not to worried about access because I can either fish it with waders or a kayak that I have. |
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| The ones I fished did not have pike but thinking about a few in the area where I now live in Northern WI, I am guessing some do have pike. A couple have a small creek coming in and out, so they probably don't freeze out and have good vegetation. I can catch eater size pike on the chain where I live just fishing for musky, so I probably wouldn't do the hard work of getting in there just to catch pike but if I was younger, yeah I might just do that. Some of those with a creek you can access with a kayak, which is the way to go if they have a lot of wetland around them.
Edited by North of 8 1/14/2017 1:51 PM
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Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | You will not get a specific answer to a specific lake on this thread. Having said that, the information you seek is out there to be found if you are willing to put in the time to find it. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Try your Department of rocks and bushes or what ever thy call it down there. Here in Ontario district offices will give you list of lakes in their region and the species contained. Stocking lists are helpful here because they won't stock a lake without public or crown access probably the same where you are. Talk to the local CO generally they know their territory. Nothing like exploring on an ATV with a cartopper or canoe on a top rack. |
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Posts: 859
Location: MN | I grew up in the areas your looking at these lakes when they have fish it's panfish and bass. And sometimes trout. |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Thanks for the replies, I'm going to give them a try, the worst that could happen is I find good bass/panfish spot or catch some trout! |
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Posts: 1000
| Wait, so lakes exist south of Canada that don't contain pike? lol
Any attached to a stream or river system? Those should have pike. I'd then use google earth to identify any visible vegetation.
It's discussions like this that make me so grateful for the MNDNR and their Recreation Compass
Edited by tolle141 1/14/2017 10:34 PM
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Posts: 612
| I've fished many small lakes in the Michigans Lower Peninsula (say 20 to 50 miles East of Ann Arbor) and few had pike. They were filled with LMB and panfish from ~ 200 to 20 acres. However there were a few exception but the pike tended to be small. I was told this wasn't necessary the case with upper Peninsula.
In western - central New York we don't have that many smaller lakes but those that we do have are primarily bass lakes as well. Surprisingly we have a couple of small Musky lakes such as Bear and Cassadaga Lake.
Often the property surrounding the lake is private and permission is still needed for fishing rights. One must then obtain access to the lakes with lighter pressure (which is often necessary for good fishing on small lakes since they get fished out easily, or reduced to a population of 12" bass and or hammerhandles).
Even if the lake has only been lightly fished it must also have the right conditions to be a fertile fish producer some are mud holes, made by beavers, or suffer from winter kill so the lake must be deep enough and preferable have a source of running water flowing into it or be spring fed.
I suppose many desire such pearls such as you seek but they are hard to find and maintain due to human nature.
Edited by NPike 1/14/2017 11:35 PM
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | We fish a number of little backwoods lakes. Some do have nice pike, but that runs in cycles because if one guy finds out and he and his friends keep a limit several times, it's over for a few years, and maybe for good. There is no such thing as a lake that can be reached that sees zero anglers, there's quite a few folks like us willing to take a Golden Hawk in the woods and down a hill to fish new water.
Better than little back woods lakes for pike, look for larger lakes with rivers or large creeks running in and out, and especially a dam by the only boat landing, as that means easy access by ice anglers is out. Winter harvest of pike is pretty crazy. I will say the tough ice conditions the last few years have helped many mid to large lakes because ice anglers couldn't get out, and hurt a BUNCH of our favorite little lakes due to freeze-out.
If you want to catch an excellent number of eater pike with shots at good ones and a shot at a muskie, fish Pelican Lake's West end bays. Loaded with pike these days. Float the Pelican River if you have the right boat. Etc. |
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Posts: 337
Location: Watersmeet, Michigan | What I've noticed is that when a small lake is producing fish, word spreads quickly among locals and the lake sees a lot of pressure. This is especially true on remote lakes that are now easily accessible by ATV. It doesn't take long for a small lake to be fished out and it usually takes many years for it to recover. (That's one of the reasons Michigan DNR does not give fishing reports on small bodies of water.)
Fr. K |
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Posts: 33
| yes it is certainly possibly to have a population of muskie in areas you talk about. That is exactly what my favorite secret spot is. Takes a long ass drive down a bad dirt road. What I will tell you is places like this among musky anglers is very closed lip. Only way to know is to fish it. I stumbled upon my spot by accident, and in the few years ive been fishing musky I have only ever seen 3 other people fishing for musky on it. Also, look for rivers that are hard to access.....there are many good river spots that hardly ever get touched, especially if you find areas where only a kayak or canoe can get into to. |
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | One sure fire way to find out |
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Posts: 536
| I grew up portaging and such over beaver #*^@s and swamps and creeks and rivers looking for the "untouched lakes". Ive seen some neat things for sure with the highlight being one big girl around 53" that was calling a 20 acre beaver pond her home. Raised her once and had her swipe but never seen her again. That was about 3yrs ago. I go after her still once or twice a yr but I think she left there. She was probably spawning up there that spring and got stuck in there for the season. She was up 2 ponds and a small river over a beaver #*^@. Couple other small lakes I know of that there is a small population of ski's but not fishable populations. All found from exploring. Some nice pike at times too but the older I get the more I just want to catch quality fish and its hard to beat popular well known muskie lakes. |
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