Tuscarora Lake BWCA

[Musky hunter 82]

looking for any fishing information on this lake and the others that are in the area. A group of us might head up there around July next year, I don't need any spots but more so what species of fish there are and how you'd fish for them. I have never been on these lakes or fished for Lake trout before, I have fished a lot in the BWCA for Bass and walleye's though.

Thanks for any input you guys might have.

[live4chrome]

Good trout luck had our best luck fishing off shore with bottom rigs and rainbow chubs nice trout and big pike in there. Portage in is a dam though. Caught almost all of our fish posted up with bottom rigs but this was in may

[Surface Tension]

You'll be on some decent trout water in Tusc & Gillis but the time of year isn't stacked in your favor. That time of year the lake trout will be heading into deeper water. Chorme's post was in May when the lake trout are in shallow. Trolling shorelines or a dead line off shore on the bottom are sure bets.

Here is a report on deep water lake trout last summer. While I was downrigging, I was also prepared to jig and jigging is what how you'll boat lake trout fishing from a canoe in the BWCA. It covers finding where the trout are, how to reach them, and what gear and tackle works.

Start out getting lake maps and study it looking for points, saddles, and shelves to jig. You'll need a rod with good backbone and medium tip. I prefer a levelwind/baitcaster and spool it with 10 lb braid. An assortment of 1-2 oz jigs, bucktails, Slick jigs, Swedish Pimples and ever some heavy spoons. You can tip them with Gulp, white tubes, and chubs.

A sounder for sure, don't even consider not taking one.

Its going to let you see what your under, tell you if the lake trout are holding tight to the bottom or suspended.

A light breeze or no wind would be ideal but be prepared to hold the canoe on for not so favorable times. Jigging for deep lake trout on a fast drift is impossible. Parachute cord as your anchor rope and rocks in a a mesh bag makes a good BWCA anchor.

[schweady]

Sorry, I guess my post from last night got deleted because I linked to another website that has a forum much like this one, but focuses on the bwca. Well, good luck anyway, Musky hunter 82.

[Iceboy]

Gulp Leeches on crawler harnesses and weighted down to get deep have been the ticket for me in the past - Gillis & Crooked are better than Tusc IMHO, and if you really want to find lots of good eaters hit Peter.

[Musky hunter 82]

Thanks for the replies so far, are there any Bass or walleyes in the lakes around Tuscarora? Also how bad is that first portage say compaired to Little Gabbro?

[live4chrome]

Portage from missing link is about a mile with lots of big rocks. Very rewarding one

[BWCA Lady]

The lakes around Tuscarora are primarily lake trout lakes with northern pike. Not so much walleye or smallmouth bass. Head farther north or south from there to find walleye and smallmouth.

We did great in July fishing for lake trout with sutton spoons and chain weights. Lots of fish to be caught out there!

The best time for lake trout fishing is coming up, gotta love the winter ice fishing.

[youngwalleye]

The Missing Link to Tuscarora portage can be tough. However, the challenge is almost exclusively in its length, and there aren't many sharp drops and inclines or obstacles. You'll be aching to see water by the end but if you keep moving it shouldn't take more than 30 or 40 minutes. Definitely worth the effort.

If you want to mix in some walleye and bass action after you've gotten your trout fix I would recommend looping through Snipe, Cross Bay, and Ham, exiting at the Cross River entry point, which is about a quarter mile from Round Lake. There are some trying portages along the way, namely the ones to Snipe from Tusc, but it's a mellow route overall. You can make it from Tuscarora Lake to the CR entry point, fishing along the way of course, in half a day. All of these lakes have solid bass populations and if you put in some time you should be able to net some walleyes in Cross Bay and Ham.

Since these lakes aren't too far in and because you'll be there in July, you're likely to see a fair amount of people, but you never know. All in all, it's a scenic loop that will provide multi-species action without forcing you to double back through lakes you've already seen. It's also nice because you'll paddle a number of lakes and cover plenty of ground without exhausting yourself in the process. Hope this helps, good luck!

[Powerstroke]

One thing I'd like to add here is that plowed roads can be at a premium. When I planned a trip from ROund Lake I didn't consider that the road to the landing wouldn't be plowed. That added an extra 3/4 miles of travel to my day I didn't plan on. Because of snow conditions that added an hour of travel just to get to the lake.

I later found that Tuscarora Outfitters is usually plowed and may be a good place to start, but call ahead first. They can also provide you with info about current conditions.

[Redlantern]

Calling the forest service in the district you'll be travelling is a good idea. So many roads are plowed by loggers while many are not. They should have the info on what is plowed and what isn't.

[Stick in Mud]

The portage into Little Gabbro is pretty easy, imho. It's a bit long, but the trail is wide, void of large rocks, and a little rolling but never very steep. Of course, it all depends on what you're carrying. And the portage into Tusc is about the same, only it's a bit longer, if I remember correctly.