hungry jack lake Hungry Jack Lake Fishing Reports?

[johnsd16]

Just booked a cabin for labor day weekend up there with the family.  Never fished it at all.  How is the early fall fishing?  Any tips regarding depths, type of live bait, general areas?  I will be bringing a 14' with 9hp of my own.  I have read the big rocks are marked and don't plan on getting too wild, just putt around and find some fish away from the cabin docks and maybe troll some.  I am an experienced fisherman but will have my boys (6.5 and 4) with, and the younger one just goes nuts over bass.  Can we expect decent fishing, as in enough bites to keep the kids interested?   Looks like it is managed for smallies and I saw the size restrictions on those, but didn't see anything else on walleye size restrictions.  If we put some time in in the evening and early morning can we catch a meal or two of walleyes/northerns?  Sorry for the million questions, just trying to plan for meals, equipment, time to spend fishing etc. 

[JBMasterAngler]

You'll have a blast there! Best lake up there for bass in my opinion. There's plenty of sunnies in the lake to keep them busy also. Leeches should still be the go to bait by then. Most of the rocks are marked, there's still a couple out there that can ding your boat up if your not paying attention. Hungry Jack is a really good late evening/night lake, with walleyes hanging out on the weed lines. Their dock is a pretty good spot to fish with bobbers for sunnies and walleyes as well. Bass are everywhere, but the north shoreline, on the eastern half of the lake is better. Good lake to see moose along the shoreline too.

[mnjedman]

Take a look at the depth map on MN Lake Finder.  There are two major rock areas marked as 3 -5 ft. The main one is on west side, under honeymoon bluff. The other is directly across the lake, 20 yards off the north shore.  HJ is managed as a trophy smallmouth lake.  X-raps work well but if they get finicky, go finesse with a drop shot rig.  There are some big pike, 10# +, wandering the east bay, just take a right from the dock.   Work the south shore for walleye, along with the point at the opening to the bay by the portage to Bearskin. Just off the point by the fox cabin is also good in the evenings. Since you have a 9hp, take a day and go down to Clearwater lake. You won't be disappointed with the fishing nor the scenery.

[AnglerJake]

I'm going to be up in Grand Marais the week of September 21. Never been to Hungry Jack before. Where is the launch located? Can we get a 16' modified vee launched ok?

Thanks!

[JBMasterAngler]

The launch is at the lodge. $10 fee. Your boat will launch just fine. There used to be a small little launch on the west end of the lake, but the DNR put boulders in the way, so you can't launch there anymore. 

[AnglerJake]

Thanks, JB. Planning on hitting Two Island, Pike, maybe Elbow, Devils Track, and Hungry Jack. Mainly interested in smallies; maybe pike and walleyes. Planning on it probably being a minnow bite? Also bringing plenty of plastics and cranks.

 Jake