Northern Lakes

[jpm1603]

Hi all. I am a long time reader of this board, first time poster. My family comes up to your area once a year, and my parents have causually started looking for a lake lot to eventually retire on. Since we fish only one lake on our trip up here, I am fairly unfarmiliar with the rest of them. My dad loves to go out and cast for northern and bass, and panfishes. What lakes would you recommend to start looking on for lots that fit this description. A few of the lakes we have looked into are Norway, East and West Leaf, west silent, Anna, West Lost, Long(Vergas), Donalds, and Stalker. Do any of these stick out above the others for northern lakes or do you have any other recommendations not listed? I would love to find a lake where you can go out all day and and consistently have pike action. I appreciate any help, thank you!

[GRAND DAD]

I will try to help you the best I can one thing you have to keep in mind a lot of these lake you are talking about go thru cycles meaning one or two years you might get great pike action then die off witch means the sun fish are going to come back so the next couple of years might be great for pan fish or hell you might even get a couple of great bull head fishing years. At least this I what I have found out when dealing with smaller lakes you have mentioned bigger lake are not affected nearly as bad. So it's kind of hard to nail down one type of fish but out of all the lakes you named none really jump out as great pike lakes to me. Anna I have never cought a dam thing on that lake and I have tryed it maybe a half a dozen times. Norway has always been good to me on that I usesaly catch something, Stalker has always been hit or mis for me.That's about it I hope I helped a little.

[vister]

My parents have a cabin on east battle. You can catch northerns all day long nearly anywhere on the lake. Unfortunately, they all average about 20-24 inches. Great for bass as well as we have caught hundreds of them in the 2 lb range and a pile over that. Hit or miss for crappies, spring or winter, sunnies primarily early summer, up to the 4th of july you can usually find a good school of slabs. And, up to now still one of the clearest lakes in the area, but the bottom is pretty weedy. With a LOT of patience, you can fool the occassional walleye. Good luck!

[Mark Christianson]

Vister

I think if you put those pike on a board, you would be lucky to catch many over 20 inches on East Battle.

Come one, Come all. KEEP some pike on East Battle please!

Been there over 25 years, and there is a reason why the DNR put the special pike regs in place for this lake. Its overloaded with subpar pike(under 20 inches).

[def]

Thats good to know about East Battle. We love catching Northerns(20" just right for eating) & bass. Will have to hit it when we come up next year to the area.

[Mark Christianson]

We pickled a bunch last winter. A nice little snack.

[vister]

The northern regs on east battle have been lifted, i do believe. There was a public hearing on it and i believe they are all fair game now, but, about 2 out of 10 were over the 22 inch slot anyways. And, pickling would be a nice LITTLE snack too!

[pakrat]

Are you sure on that vister ? This year's regs still show the 22" and over must go back . I was consindering going back there when in search for them toothy buggers . We have stayed on that lake a few years back , (1995 - 1998 ) but have not been there since . Any help on this would be greatly appreciated . Still I'll assume we could go there and get the eaters ?

Good luck to all & have FUN !!!

[Mark Christianson]

The reg is going to be lifted I believe. Not because the lake is fixed, but because it didnt help at all.

Come on and catch some of these dink pike!

[vister]

its only been a few weeks since the slot has been lifted, and i'm almost 100 percent sure it has been lifted. I would check on it first though. A lot of the members of the lake association went to the public meeting and said the slot hasn't helped. The problem is that years back the dnr stocked east battle with northern. The problem with that was they didn't know it was a different strain of snakes that didn't grow. They were age sampled and went as follows: an 18 inch northern was 14 years old, and a 16 inch northern was 12 years old. So, they don't grow. However, they are ferocious feeders for their size, so you can catch them on about anything. In fact, every july 4th, my buddies and i have what we call SNOOT FEST. just to see how many of them we can catch. the winner this year, for smallest was 8 3/4 inches, on a bionic bucktail, and kiss some of your flu flu's good bye!! I've even caught them out there in 40 fow north of the island camp, on a lindy rig! So no, there is NEVER a day on E. Battle when you get skunked.

[Mark Christianson]

The reg is not lifted yet. The comment period is still open, so until thats done and meetings are complete, the reg is still in place.

Their fish data has proved that the reg has done nothing to improve the pike fishery, so hence the reason for the potential lifting of the reg.

I contacted the Fergus fisheries office to get that.