Gun Flint Camping And Fishing

[macgruber]

So I’m bringing the family up to Flour Lake campground over the 4th of July.  I grew up camping and fishing the Canadian side of Sag every chance we got, but haven’t fished any of the lakes on the trail.  I really wanted to stay at Two Island, as it sounds like the bass fishing there is great, but none of the sites are reservable ahead of time and I didn’t want to drive up and have to go on a campground hunt.  We still might buzz over there for a day, but I was looking for recommendations on some lakes closer to the trail.  

I have two little kids who are just getting into fishing, so I was hoping for action, size is just a bonus. I’m guessing walleye fishing will be off the table with the patience factor limiting how much time I can search for fish with two kids along.  I was leaning towards smallmouth as the kids can both cast and that always held my attention more as a kid.  We’ll likely only keep enough for one fish dinner over the weekend.  Thanks in advance for any help!

[JBMasterAngler]

Flour Lake is a nice place to camp. Fishing there is a complete waste of time however. West Bearskin Lake is just down the road a little farther. Full of bass, and an occasional lake trout. Hungry Jack Lake is a really good bass lake, both numbers and size. It’s also one of the only lakes up there with a good sunfish population. Two Island Lake is worth a visit, as it’s by far the best bass lake up there! 

 

Hungry Jack Lodge offers campsites. Unless you’re looking for a more primitive experience, I’d try to get a site there.

Edited June 12, 2019 by JBMasterAngler

[macgruber]

Thanks!  Yeah, I was thinking Hungry Jack would be worth a look.  My dad is going to meet us up there and I’m sure he’d like a chance at a walleye.  And the bluegill and bass combo with kids sounds fun.  

 

What about Greenwood or Clearwater?  I’ve seen mentioned a couple places they might have decent bass populations?  Would either be worth a look?  Or just stick to those mentioned?

 

Any tips on what to use and depths in early July- most likely slip bobbering and casting with the kids.... certainly not opposed to trolling if there’s fish.  

[macgruber]

If it was just me I’d do the campground at the lodge, but was trying to get a wilderness feel with camping and the sites at Flour looked fairly nice..... I know we’re forfeiting fishing there....

[JBMasterAngler]

Hungry Jack has a dock to fish off of, a swimming beach, and showers/running water. So that might be a bonus for the kids. Greenwood is a good numbers lake. 200 bass a day is not uncommon. Kids won’t care, but they’re all little ones. Catching lakers while bass fishing is pretty common there also. 

 

With how goofy the weather has been so far, bass could still be in spring locations come 4th of July. Which, if that’s the case, fishing will be as easy as can be. Just target the shorelines. 

[monstermoose78]

For eye two island a good bet  or east twin lake. We normally fish devilfish or Tom lake up the arrowhead trail for eyes.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Hard to find a lake up the trail not chock-full of invasive smallmouth. Slip bobbers and leeches, and cast towards shoreline rock piles. 

[macgruber]

Thanks for the tips, I’ll report back after and let you know how we do.  Very excited to get up there.....

[macgruber]

I guess one other query.  If we were to switch things up and take an afternoon to hike and fish a trout lake in the area, any recommendations on one to sample?  It looks like Kimball has a trail and some shore fishing spots, just no recent DNR sampling data.  Sounded like it was going to be reclaimed but wasn’t sure how it was fishing now.  That one or any others worth a try for some stream trout?

[rumeye]

Mink lake right by Kimball has a trail on the south end off the road you can walk. It's pretty cool you end up on some small cliffs you can fish off of. There is trout in there also. Pine trestle over by Two island has Splake in it has nice shore fishing spots caught a few there.

[macgruber]

Those are great, thanks!  The Mink/Kimball combo might be the ticket as it also looks like there’s a sandy swimming beach on mink so when the kids get tired of humoring dad and his need to fish, they can play in the water!

[rumeye]

I will be up next week staying at trout lake resort down the road from Kimball and Mink. Going to hit a few lakes in the area. Will give an update on the 1st of July.

[JBMasterAngler]

Mink and Kimball have been phenomenal ever since they were poisoned! Kimball has a hiking trail that goes around the entire lake. Both lakes are very productive from shore. Pine Trestle is much better in the fall. If you have waders, that would be a major plus.

[macgruber]

Any chance at trout on the surface or near it this time of year?  I have limited experience fishing the stocked lakes for trout but do love me some fly fishing..... seem to remember some evening mayfly hatches on Sag getting some pods of small smallmouth round 4th of July when I was a kid.... could easily be misremembering time of year though.

[JBMasterAngler]

As long as there are bugs to eat, the trout will always hit the surface. As summer progresses, there will be less and less trout to catch.

[Lunderfull]

The wife and I are shedding the kids for the first time in years and going up to the trail area the week after the 4th. Hoping to find a open camp site on Sunday thinking people will be heading home. looks like some good info posted for bass and I haven't fished for pan fish in years. I would like to target some lake trout and walleye?

Is there any good fishing on Superior out of Grand Maris?

[monstermoose78]

There is good fishing out of grand Marais on the big lake. Walleyes are plentiful in most lakes but watch for rocks. Devils track is full of little eaters. I normally fish lakes like Tom devilfish east twin crescent two island but the are full of rocks for a big boat. 

[Lunderfull]

That's good to know, the insurance company just helped me out last year with a  new lower unit and transom. I have a 18.5 foot boat and a MN map chip but not sure how detailed it will be for that area?

How bad is it to navigate i don't want to wreck it again.

[monstermoose78]

Depends on the lake. Two island bad news devils track ok

[JBMasterAngler]

If you’re worried about hitting rocks, definitely stay off Two Island and Crescent lakes. 

[Lunderfull]

Thanks guy's will have to evaluate once we get up there maybe one of the bait shops will have some good current  bite info, any recommendations  on that?

[JBMasterAngler]

Beaver House.

[macgruber]

So back from the north land.  Trip was too short but we had a blast.  We stayed at Flour Lake at a nice site, ended up hitting Bearskin and Hungry Jack and went out for a paddle on Flour.  First night on Bearskin we nabbed 15 bass in an hour or so along with a little pike.  Fished Hungry Jack the next day.  The dock there was really fun.  My little guy caught four little bass off the dock before we got the boat launched.  We’d go out and fish and swim and then he’d make us go back and fish by the dock.  Tons of small bass out there, don’t think we got one over 11”, but for the kids, it was a ton of fun.  Even the next day, back on Bearskin, when the fishing slowed down midday, he leaned over and said, “dad, if we want to catch some fish, I’ve got a good idea, we should go back to that dock from yesterday.”

We also did a couple little hikes, the honeymoon bluff trail and the George Washington memorial pines trail on the way out.  Both were great, the view over Hungry Jack is spectacular and the pines trail was a cool walk through a great patch of woods.

We didn’t really fish flour lake but I talked to a couple guys at the acces pulling their canoe out and they got a bunch of bass- a few really nice ones, and a half dozen walleye which they were surprised at.

Already thinking about a Labor Day trip back up there....

[rumeye]

How were the biting Gnats? They were awful a week ago.

[Lunderfull]

I just pulled into camping at Devils lake last night and had some no see um's last night . have not put the boat in yet but going to try latter today.

[macgruber]

Couple no see ums at times, gnats were virtually nonexistent, deer flies buzzing the tower on the hike through the pines, black flies weren’t bad at all on the water, that’s what I was most worried about and we saw like ten the whole trip, I had stocked up on fly swatters in case..... skeeters weren’t all that terrible, I’ve certainly seen worse.  They were there in the evenings for sure but I was expecting swarms as we were camped in the woods with no breeze and aside from the access at Bearskin at dark, which is next to a big bog, they were tolerable.

[macgruber]

Thanks again for all the help!

[macgruber]

Totally forgot to mention wildlife- we got everything but bear- saw a wolf on the drive up, a moose running by the campground, a fox running by camp, and nearly hit a deer on the drive home.... along with a loon family, some eagles, crayfish and toadies, made for a good weekend of family wildlife viewing!