Advise on Bear Island Lake

[FISHINGFARMER]

Our family is coming to Bear Island Lake the first week of June. Does anyone have any advise on how to get on eyes' for this lake? We usually fish a lake on the Echo trail, but thought we would like to try Bear Island Lake this year for a change. Thank you for any information-

[garytheguide]

jigs and rapalas...get to the river mouth and see....otherwise go over to the islands and fish around the holes...can be a real tough lake

[FISHINGFARMER]

Gary: Thanks for the reply and advise on the lake.Will try the spots you suggested.Call me green but not fishing there at all.I have to ask, if I could, by what you meant "a real tough lake" for eyes' Is it the numbers of fish or the size of lake for a newbee? We have a teen age daughter that loves to fish but (Patience is a Virtue) . Any advise for smallies for her to get a taste of a real fish fight?

Staying at a resort there but loading our boat to put her on fish is always a option open to a lake near by!!! Thanks again for all your help-- much appreciated.

[slick814]

I'd suggest trying a guide first time out. Bear Island is a great lake to catch fish, but it can be a hard place to figure out, as to where they're at. There are Walleye for size and numbers both, but I've found that the lake seems to have it's own little personality.

e.g. things that work on Birch Lake or Vemilion may not be working as well on Bear Island. Go with the guide and it'll help you immeasurably!

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Bear Island has great walleyes and pike in it.

The main reason that they are hard to catch is that the lake has a very large population of ciscoes in it.

Lots of easy feed means harder fishing!

Late evenings and very early mornings are gen. the best bite times there from the reports I get from other clients that fish the lake.

They also mentioned fishing the island areas.

Cliff

[FISHINGFARMER]

Thanks for all who have posted info on areas to try fishing this lake.Will try a couple days ourselves to get on some fish,but if it turns out to be a slow bite will try and contact you to see if a day is open on your schedule that week to help us out.

We just come up a week out of the year each year to fish and usually come late August or early September before the lakes turn over.But have always heard how early June fishing is,so thought we would try it once.

Have heard of Bear Island Lake and would like to try it for a change and to see a different lake and try our luck.But have never fished in the spring in these lakes.We thought it would probably be a whole lot different in locating fish vs early fall fishing and what to throw at them too.And that seems to be the case on this lake.

Again, Thanks for all the help and info. The Baileys

[fwp]

As Cliff said...there are some really nice fish in that lake...I have had my best luck on windy days fishing the mouths of the bays the wind is blowing into...rigging w plain hooks/spinners...with crawlers....Good Luck...and have fun!

[Hitman54]

Farmer,

My uncle has a cabin on this lake and here is what I do. I have four kids, three of which are old enough to fish. They to lack alot of patience. I first try to set the kids up with live bait rigs under a slip bobber and fish some of the holes around the islands. If nothing is happpening throw some daredevils on the kids lines and I'll tie on a rapala and start trolling. If I am not picking up any "eyes" usually the kids are hitting some pike. It is a great lake that dosen't get a ton of pressure like Vermilion does. You and your family should have fun as long as the weather is good!

[FISHINGFARMER]

Hitman-

Thanks for the tips We will try your advise on live bait rigging.Can we ask is this for around the first week of June, with what type of live bait would you suggest trying first?

Are the pike you get to hit nice size? The daughter asked, would she find smallies around this lake also? Thanks again for the help.

[Hitman54]

Early June I use nothing but minnows. Fat heads and rainbow chubs are my prefrence. There are some smallies in the lake and lots of Rock Bass. The kids usually catch 3 or 4 rock bass for every "eye" they hook. The pike are good size in this lake, lots of fish in the 6-12lb range. My wife caught and released a 41 incher there last June.