q's about Saganaga Lake

[Guest]

Was hoping to get some informaton about the fishing on Sag...any and all info would be appreciated...specifically - some hot spots for Walleyes and Pikes.

[Fishing Junky]

When ya going up?

[evntam]

I'm jumping in on this one. I'm supposed to head up there next Wednesday for a week. I have yet to find the walleye holes, but will be running all over trying it out. I hope to camp somewhere on the Western part of the lake.
I've done ok for lakers West of American point, but I have no idea where to catch eyes this time of year.
Anyone have any ideas?

[Fishing Junky]

If I was going up next Wednesday, I would concentrate in the area where the walleyes would spawn. I would fish windy points and shorelines near that area. I would bet Red Rock Bay and Devil's Walk Bay would be a good bet also. Let me know how ya did. I'm going up on the 12th of June and the 14th of July. Have a great trip. Junky..........

[Guest]

Fishing Junky or anyone else,

We will be up about the same time. End of June first week of July. What should we look for for good fishing on Sag that time of year. We suck we have been up there a couple of times w/o a lot of luck and i know the fish are there so I figure we are just doing something wrong. We are going in on Sag and we will continue down the border stay in cherry or topaz then down to knife, south towards Kekabic and then make a loop back towards Seaugul. Any lake reconmendations or fishing tips for that time of year will be greatly appreciated.

[Fishing Junky]

First off Big ol', love your user name. As far as fishing Sag that time of year, I would first suggest ALWAYS fish the wind. I assume you are going to take a canoe. Make sure you have rope, so you can tie some rocks up for anchors. Concentrate on windy, rocky shorelines and points. Also, get a Saganaga map made by Lakemaps. They aren't the greatest, but shows depths and rocks. You should be able to find it on the internet cheap. Also try rocks sticking out of the water, on the windy side of coarse. Use a slip bobber and leech. Don't want to go too much into details, but hope this helps out a bit. Good fishing to ya, Junky.

[analyzer]

I've paddled through sag every year for the past 20 here's my suggestions:

Stop at the little restaurant across from Ben Franklin in Grand M...excellent breakfast.

Stop at Beaver Hut two blocks east of there. Pick up floating rigs.... I love the chartreuse with orange spots. It's about a 30" monafilament leader with a small float and single hook. Sorta like a lindy rig. The difference is that it has a 6 inch piece of free line off the top end. You'll want to put one or two split shot on that small free end. Then when the split shot get hung up, they just pull off with a steady pull and you don't lose your rig...excellent with leeches.

Also pick up some beaver flicks red seem to do well. Use these with slip bobbers in choppy water.

Gas up before you hit the trail, it's cheaper in GM or Two harbers... the trail is 60 miles long and you don't want to run out.

Bring a set of take home clothes and leave them in the car with a towel... Stop at Seagul lake outfitters on the way out (roger and debbie are wonderful) and shower there. 3 or 4 bucks for that shower will feel like the best money you ever spent.

Make sure you have some small bills for parking. I think a week was $13 or similar.

I usually bury my keys by my front tire, so I don't risk losing them in the BWCA.

If you are using a motor:

25 horse is the maximum on the american side.

You may have any size, as far as I know on the Canadian side.

From what I've heard, the best eye fishing is as far North and East as you can go on the Canadian Side. Especially early June till maybe the 21st.

People use to catch huge eyes, off the mouth of the gunflint river (?) or whatever that river is that dumps into eastern Sag, but now they prohibit you from fishing there in early may. However the big females still tend to be more abundant in that eastern end.

I've heard you can catch Lakers south of Englishmans Island or south and east of Honeymoon Island. Also West of Spam (nearly 90' deep there)

I really don't spend a lot of time on Sag fishing (I'd probably recommend Mike Bergs guide service...he alone has caught and released over 80 8+ lb'ers in one season!)

If you are going to Knife and beyond...

Get yourself an overnight motor permit, hook on a 5 horse motor and motor to American point (leave the motor on shore there in the bushes.... u can pick it up on the way out) This will save you 2-3 hours each way, and really cuts down on the back ache. I highly recommend traversing sag before 10:00. You'll want to be West of Spam Island by then to stay out of the heavy waves... Sometimes Sag is like glass, but more often than not, there's 2-3 foot rollers in the afternoon. If you do get stuck in heavy wind... take an afternoon nap, the wind almost always dies out after 6:00 or 7:00.

My destination is always, Zepher lake, in third bay. I like it because it has only one campsite, and if you're lucky enough to get it, the lake feels like your own. Relatively few people fish the lake as it is not part of the "loop" Maybe one canoe per day. Go through the channel in the middle of the lake, as you head south you'll see a penninsula on the left, then a bay, then an Island... on the west shoreline across from the south end of the island are some rock bluffs... If you park half way between the south end of the island and the south end of the rock bluffs, there is a weed bed in 10-12' of water... You'll do well with leeches in the late mornings and early evenings, especially when there is a chop. Lots of 2-5lb eyes and occasional smallie and northern action. North of the Island slightly towards the channel are some large rocks in 6-8' and is also good for 2lb smallies and small walleyes... also better when there is a chop. Don't waste your time in that bay directly east of there... it's just muddy.

Sometimes I've done well off the rock point at the north end of the channel in the main lake 14-18'. Or around the Island on the West side of the main lake.

There's a group from Kentucky that comes up every year around the 4th of july for two weeks, so get there before then.

There's also a group from Cedar Rapids Iowa, which has told me that it's very good fishing in the first bay to the right after you cross monument portage into Knife (I thought he said something about cypress, not sure what he was talking about)

I've caught some decent bass and eyes in Swamp lake (west of 3rd bay) If you go out a couple hundred yards west of the portage, you'll find a slightly submerged (it's usually underwater anyway) bolder 10' x 10', park there and fish off the edges, it drops off quickly... caught a 20" smallie and a 27" eye same day.

by the way, there's been a bear in Zepher the last several years, took my duluth pack in '92 right in front of my wife.

Also, just think it's interesting. I almost never catch any pan fish or rough fish up there. The only place I've caught large mouth in that area is in Ashdick off swamp.

Most of the lakes are clear but appear coffee colored because of the bottom. But it blows you away when you go into Esther because there's a white sandy bottom and it's crystal blue... Just kinda fun.

Oh yeah, I think the south end of Englishmans still has a picknick table but it's been years since I camped there.

A couple west of american point do to.

The campsite immediately east of spam Island has a sandy beach to the west of it.

I've seen moose almost every year in Zepher, nice buck too.

By the way, I probably wouldn't get your leeches at the Beaver Hut, they seem small and over priced.

Watch your speed at the Northwest end of the gunflint trail, very hairy turns.

I've done well on lots of lakes up there with floating chartreuse rapalas. Flip them very close to shore (6 inches), rocks, weeds, brush, etc. Let it sit for 3-5 seconds, twitch it slightly, let it sit for another 2 seconds and retrieve. They'll usually gobble on that twitch.

Have fun.

Drink right outathelake.

Garrett.

yeah yeah, i know, giardia, whatever.

drink right outathelake.

[analyzer]

say, ps, I'm not sure about the regs, but in the past, sag had a slot only one fish over 24 and the rest had to be under 19" or similar to that... anyway, I suspect if you come out of those other lakes and have to paddle through sag, you'll probably have to adhere to sags regs... Catch and release is in everyones best interest anyway.

garrett

[analyzer]

hey lotsofquestions, if you plan on fishing the canadian side, you'll need a remote border crossing permit and a canadian fishing license... I don't think you can get them on the gunflint trail... I believe it takes 5-6 weeks through the mail, or you can drive up to the border beyond grand portage and pick one up. I could be wrong.

g.

[Fishing Junky]

On Sag, you can keep six walleye, with ONLY 1 being over 19.5 inches long. The river they close early in the season for protection of spawning walleye is the Seagull. State record walleye caught out of there. Junky.........

[Guest]

g - Thanks for all the great info. We're probably staying pretty close to Red Rock Bay. Any tips on fishing spots in that area?

Junk - Good luck on your trip in June. Not sure if you were planning to head down to Red rock bay, but I'll post something as soon as I get back.

later
lots o q's

[Fishing Junky]

Good luck to you too lots of, appreciate it very much. I am a relative newby to fishing Sag in June. I normally have gone up in July, and fished mainlake rock piles, so I will be looking forward to finding fish in June. Red Rock should be good though in my opinion. Go to the Mn. DNR Lakefinder and do a search on Sag. They have a very good depth map of Red Rock Bay you can print out. Let me know how ya did, and good fishing to ya. Junky.......