NORTH TURTLE LAKE

[Guest]

HAS ANYONE HEARD ABOUT NORTH TURTLE I WILL BE PUTTING MY HOUSE OUT THERE THIS WEEKING AND WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE BITE.
STEVE-O

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" the water's cold...deep too"

[Gissert]

Dunno how the bite is, but I saw a lot of houses from the north side where people are driving right past the "no driving in ditches" sign, LOL.

[bklimek]

That's not funny. I made it out there last year and did the same thing everyone else was doing, driving down in the ditch and accessing the lake, right past the signs. We didn't stay out to long and a guy in slacks, white collar shirt, leather jacket, and cigarette stopped us. He seemed real shady and asked us for our license. We asked him what for? He said he was an undercover cop. He flashed us his badge and he did have a gun on his hip. He took down our info and told us to never access the lake through the ditch again. He was preaching on how the landowners around the lake were all upset and blah blah blah. I respect that but I don't consider that to be a private lake so don't try to make it out to be. This guy was a legend in his own mind. What a character! Probably will never go there again.

[Jigging Bob]

I personally think they need to just put a decent landing in on North Turtle. That ditch is the same way everyone I know that fishes that lake goes out there. The lake is plenty large for a landing and the fishing there can be great at times. Isen't just putting a landing in easier and less of a hassel for locals. Or are they just mad that people are fishing "THEIR" lake? That is understandable to I guess but we have to remember what our moms tought us, Sharing.

[Gissert]

There are a couple kosher ways to get on that lake, but not legally via a truck unless you have permission to go through private land. It would involve a snomobile or a quad and a portable fish house.

I did not mean to indicate that I think that method of access on the north side is funny. In fact, I find it quite sad. My LOL was intended to be sarcastic in nature.

One problem is that the high water levels have made the water butt right up against the right of way. Navigable water that touches a public right of way is legal access. The no driving in ditch signs seem to be largely ignored. No driving what? Cars, trucks? That I understand and agree with. A road ditch is a legal path for snomobiles and quads at certain times of the year, however. As a matter of fact, the OCTA sled trail runs right along that very road.

I personally won't access the lake at that point because I understand the intent of those signs. There are plenty of other lakes for me to fish.

It seems to me, however, that the signs appear to be un-enforceable due to the volume of fishouses and street vehicle traffic through there.

Jigging Bob is correct that a public access would solve the problem, but until there is a willing seller, that will not happen.

[Brett Meyer]

Hey bklimek, That sounds a little iffy to me too, i doubt there would be some undercover officer out there just doing that. Sounds like something someone would do to give a little scare and try to spread the word about it like you just did. Who knows. That "driving in ditch" is iffy too, technically there is no ditch there, it's just more of a shoulder now.
I talked to a DNR officer a few years ago out there and he said anyone can be out there as long as they take an ATV, Snowmobile or walk out there, they just leagally are not suppose to drive a car or truck out there, yet people still do. Like someone said before, it's hard to enforce, but hopefully someone will figure out something so everyone can be happy.