Lower Manitou Lake Fishing Reports by Camp Manitou

[leeharris]

Hi Guys, New to this post and this Lake. Just wanted you all to know that I have enjoyed your posts and the info. you share. Coming up Sunday with Agent Andy and three others. We have ice fished the Kenora/Jones Rd area for the last six years and are looking forward to fishing your lake. Sounds like you have an awesome fishery. We will make sure to share our successes and failures. I'm playing with a quick strike idea this time to see if I can save more trout on my set lines. Probably end up losing some but I find too many trout swallow the whole works if you let them run. We may try to walleye fish as well. Are any of the portages open to walleye lakes? Thanks again

[superbee]

Just remember you are fishing in the border water area. Non residents are allowed 1 lake trout daily posession and 2 total posession with sportsmans lic. Walleye daily limit is 2, total of 4 with the sportsmans lic. I know the CO's have been around more with the good conditions and a couple of guys got fined for being over on the daily trout limit in that area.

[Agent Andy]

Thanks Superbee for the info. Our main concern isn't the CO but just getting enough for a meal of fresh fish while we are there. If we can bring a fish or 2 home is icing on the cake, but not that important.

This is one of our guys first trip ice fishing in Canada for trout, sure would be nice for him to connect with a big old trout.

[prov1900]

Good luck, have a safe trip, and look forward to your report. Post some pics!!!

[superbee]

I just knew you had been fishing further North and didn't want you to have a possible misfortune of a ticket if you wanted to keep a couple of fish. Have a good trip, conditions are excellent right now.

[Outfitter17]

Fishing was a little slow yesterday, we didn't get out there until 4pm and by the time we got all setup and figured out we needed to be a little shallower, it was to late to move. We did manage to get a couple limits of walleyes.

[Robin]

Some nice trout from this past weekend.

[Outfitter17]

Here are some recent pictures. The trout fishing has been ok. It seemed to have slowed a bit the past two weeks, but it should pick up for the last couple of weeks in march like it normally does each year. Most of the trout last weekend we caught off black island and in south bay with fishing depths ranging from 40-70 fow.

[Outfitter17]

Here are a few more pictures that just came in.

[Outfitter17]

Our winter fishing season has officially end today. We had one of the best winter season in recent memory, great ice after early february and great fishing after mid february. Even though we are done fishing it seem mother nature is still trying to make ice - hopefully she stops today.

With the good ice conditions we still have, I am guessing we will be looking at a May 2-5 ice out date.

If you want to try some spring laker action, just give us a call.

I will be posting spring results as soon as we can get a boat in the water.

[Agent Andy]

How does the ice look on Lower Man. We sure are anxious to try for shallow lakers.

[Outfitter17]

Andy,

Still looks like a few weeks, the forecast for the next 7 days has highs in the mid 40's and lows in the 20's. It won't be melting very fast with what is predicted. We need warm temps, rain, and wind.

[Agent Andy]

Any predictions about when the ice will go out? Sure seems like it is taking forever.

[Outfitter17]

May 4

[Agent Andy]

What water temps do you look for when the lakers are near the surface?

[Robin]

Barker Bay is open, got the boat in today! There is still some ice at the narrows between Barker Bay and the big lake we could not go through. From the bridge at Cedar Narrows we saw NO ice at all. We have not been on the stretch.

[Outfitter17]

Robin,

There is no ice in the stretch, and none as far as you can see from the bridge. However there was still some ice between the center island in esox that has the reef coming off of it that you have to swing wide around across to campers island. I am guessing tomorrow afternoon it will be passable. I would give the main lake 2-3 days after that and it should be gone.

[Outfitter17]

Ice is out at least up to Camp Manitou.

[Robin]

Ice is gone from Barker Bay, we also took a ride out to the big lake and the ice is out there too.

[Outfitter17]

Fishing has started off with a bang this spring. The weather was great to start on thur, fri, and sat, we did get a little rain yesterday, but not bad Guys that were up this weekend did really well all over the lake from Esox up to Doyle bay. Trout were caught in 10-40 feet of water, mainly trolling cranks and mepps #4's. we also has a few guys do really well just jigging over top of them with white tubes.

It was nice to finally get on some soft water after a long winter, we kind of got spoiled last year.

Anyways, just like the past couple of years we will try to do frequent updates about the fishing.

Matt

[Hoffer]

Hey up North on the Manitou!

I live vicariously through reading about the happenings on the manitou here - and this site has been pretty quiet lately!

Anybody been out fishing lately?

Whats the prediction for the start of the smallie spawn? Was thinking it might be early this year - but now temps have dropped again a bit and just wondering what the status is?

has the early trout fishing been good?

Hope everyone on the manitou is having a safe and fun start to the fishing season -and any reports = spawn, bedding, trout etc...would be awesome!!

Hoffer

[Outfitter17]

Water temps at the dock today were 60.1.

The trout fishing has been pretty good, trout have been most active in the 33-40 ft. range in 60 FOW. Jigging and Trolling has been producing about the same.

The trout fishing on some of our portage lakes have been incredible and this pattern should continue for at least another week.

Bass should be spawning around June 11, if things continue the way they are. It might backup a bit as we are suppose to get alot of rain the next few days and some cooler temps.

Water levels are about a foot low from normal end of may levels.

[Robin]

We had a couple of fishermen in last week for some early Bass fishing, they did well.

The trout fishermen also did well! They jigged for these and others were trolling and down rigging.

[Hoffer]

Anybody made a run over to Phairs or Flossie lately? Wonder if those shallower spots are starting to cook yet?

Such a weird Spring! The spawn may not happen until August

[Outfitter17]

Bass are starting to bed on certain parts of lower manitou as of tuesday, in some of the back bays where the warmer water is 63f seems to be the key temp. Alonghill has quite a few beds in the North and SE bays. Gates lake is going crazy with beds, along with Doug lake, Sawbones lake, and sawbones bay.