East Bearskin Lake

[jimmy4218]

Has anyone heard anything about this lake lately? I was thinking of going there this weekend and was looking for any tips. Also, is the campground still open?

[sparetime]

I drove through the campground on Sept. 23 just to check it out. It is a very nice, can't say when it closes, but there is information on the campgrounds on the Superior National Forest Website.

There were very few people at East Bearskin, and very few at Flour Lake, Some at Saganaga at the end of the trail. Nobody at Iron Lake, that one burned over.

[gunflint]

The campground will be open for another week anyway. The fishing has been slow and what they have been catching has been small.

[Northlander]

That lake is a dead sea. Seriously I wouldnt drive all that way to fish that lake. Take what Gunflint says as gold he knows that area very very very well.

As far as the campsite goes it is nice and has several sites with lake access. Very pretty area this time of year. Leaves are changing so if your into site seeing its worth the trip. If your going strictly to fish I would find some place with better fishing.

[JBMasterAngler]

Two Island or Devil Track...nice campgrounds and good walleye producers. Plus your close to town if you need anything. Nearby Pine (trestle) lake is a good stream trout lake also, if you want a change of pace.

[jimmy4218]

That's weird- I posted a reply to this thread last night and it doesn't show up. Anyway- I've canceled that trip and will head up to Kabetogama with Overdalimit. I've been to East Bearskin twice (maybe three times now) and have done well every time. I went there for my honeymoon back in '01 and was trolling the south shore by the bearskin lodge when I hooked into something big eough to break my pole, then my line(I had the drag set WAY too tight) . I'll never forget that. I remember waking up on the second day of our camping trip there which would have been September 13th and while looking at the frost on the tent said to the new wife "let's go get a lodge room for the rest of the week!". That turned out to be one of the best trips I've ever had.

[gunflint]

That was probably a Northern although Lakers move into the shallow bays in late September. The water is higher than it's ever been for this time of year. There's no discernible thermocline and yet the surface temp is still around the 59 degree mark. The fish are anywhere from 12 fow to 50 fow. A lot of guys are having trouble in the usual spots this fall. The forecast is calling for rain all weekend so you probably made a good call.

[Heartman]

Lakes can be good and bad, but I've had great luck fishing the 8'-12' breaks, sometimes shallower, rigging with a glow white corkie and a nightcrawler. There's some good structure to the left and down a ways to the left after you go through the narrows(westward on lake from campground). Key for us was early and late bite - have pics of some nice 27" & 28 walleyes - which are still swimming by the way...smallmouth around whenever you needed them - again, crawlers were best - better than leeches even.