Square Lake

[Redlantern]

They bite very well after dark. One thing though, be aware of the fishing hours. Don't have the regs in front of me but on designated trout lakes (which square isn't), I believe it's from one hour before sunrise to eleven p.m. Just don't want to see anyone get in trouble on other lakes.

[DonBo]

Another skunk on Square this morning. Haven't heard from anyone who caught one yet, and I've talked to several people on the ice both days. Rumor has they did not stock the lake last fall. (strictly a rumor) The DNR HSOforum does not list a stocking in 2009, coarse it may not have been updated yet.

I did SEE one of the huge 20+ lb pike the lake is famous for though. Was site fishing and she came right up to my jig and eyed it a moment before moving on. Just 4' under me and as big around as my thigh. COOL!

[Swimbait2009]

I'll be out tomorrow morning I hope! Gonna get my stamp this afternoon and be ready to hit it early. I'll let you all know how well I do (or don't do...).

[castmaster]

Hit it for 2-3 hours this morning before heading to Big Carnelian, nothing for me either. Havent even been seeing them on the Vexilar.

Would make a bit more sense if its true they didnt stock it this fall as its sure the slowest opener I can remember.

[maj330]

Fished from 11-4 today in 5' to 20'. Saw two trout while sight fishing in 15'. No takers on panfish gear.

[Swimbait2009]

Well, just got home form Square, and no luck! Got set up around 3:30, and fished for two hours. I was along the north shore in about 17 FOW, and didn't mark a single living thing down there.

I talked to a couple other people out there, and one guy had caught one rainbow and that's it.

I was fishing panfish gear, and a small swedish pimple.

Do you have to pay the park fee to use the public ramp? Or is there really no way for them to police exactly where you access the lake if you drive out? I paid tonight, not being sure and I didn't want to get a ticket for considerably more than $5.

[hunt4food]

Yes. You do need to pay the park fee and yes. They can and do patrol it occasionally. I just buy the season pass(washington county park sticker) and it's good for the whole year. Thye punch the month on the sticker so I am good to go through January of 2011.

[DonBo]

Agreed with hunt4food. That is the only access on the lake, so they got ya if you don't pay. And yes, they patrol it often.

[JBMasterAngler]

Has a trout been caught yet?

[DonBo]

Swimbait says he talked to one guy who caught one.

Dang, was sure lookin' forward to fireing up the smoker.

[Swimbait2009]

I've only heard of one being caught. I haven't been back to the lake since Sunday, but plan on it sometime again this weekend.

[castmaster]

Anyone been out lately? Hit it 4 times when the season opened and havent been back since, just wondering if things picked up at all.

[Mr. Twister]

Fished Square Lake yesterday from sun up till noon. Fished anywhere from 6ft to 30ft. All I caught was 2 of the smallest pike I have ever seen. Never saw another fish. Are there really trout or for that matter are there any panfish in square lake? I have been out there 3 times and it has been the toughest fishing I have ever had.

After moving a couple times yesterday I decided to throw the Aqua view down and see what the bottom was like. To my surprise I was fishing right next to an under water dock section in about 30' of water. If this wasn't strange enough I moved 2 more times and found another underwater dock section this time in about 25' of water. This one looked like it had a rope tied to it that disappeard way off in the distance. I wonder if it connected to another one of these platforms? Does anyboy know anything about these underwater platforms/docks and who put them in the lake. I am guessing they were put in by of for the scuba divers but I could be wrong. If I found 2 in one morning I am guessing it is safe to say there are probably many more. Does anybody have a number on these? I bet they are good lure collectors in the summer. You would think that these underwater platforms would be good fish holding structure for crappies and other fish but I never saw a fish near them. Maybe the water is too clear and the fish get spooked by the camera. At any rate it was a very interesting day fishing on a lake that seems to have very few fish in it. I hope other people are have better luck than me.

[DonBo]

Rumor has they did not stock the lake last fall. (strictly a rumor) The DNR HSOforum does not list a stocking in 2009, coarse it may not have been updated yet.

[JBMasterAngler]

I just sent an e-mail to the DNR asking wether it was stocked last fall or not. I'll let you know what they say when I hear from them.

[Mr. Twister]

Well, if they didn't stock it I guess at least I have a good excuse for not catching any fish. Always have to have have a good excuse!

[croixflats]

Yes. You do need to pay the park fee and yes. They can and do patrol it occasionally. I just buy the season pass(washington county park sticker) and it's good for the whole year. The punch the month on the sticker so I am good to go through January of 2011.

And all those years Ive gone up there I was breaking the law. Though I do remember a few squades waiting for us at night to come off. Waited a long time too, we snuck off the lake going up my buddies boat house road. They must have sat there for over an hour while we watched them from the house. To be young again sigh.

[JBMasterAngler]

OK, heard back from the DNR. They did stock square this past fall. 1,000 rainbows averaging about 1.25 lbs. However, they didn't use the arlee strain that they typically use. Instead they stocked kamloops rainbows. He suggested that may be the cause of the poor fishing...apparently kamloops are alot more wary. He didn't say why they made the switch, but that hopefully they'll return to the arlee strain very soon.

[DonBo]

That's good info. Kamloops are a very hard fighting fish. Would be nice to hook one.

Maybe because of the different strain they are swimming in different parts of the lake, or at different depths than we're used to fishing?

[Mr. Twister]

So much for my good excuse for not cating any fish.

Thanks for sharing the info JB.

[waterbound]

Kamloops are stocked in Lake Superior and they do fight pretty hard. I think I read somewhere that they were a preferred strain for stocking because they tend to run closer to shore than others, but I might be wrong.

[JBMasterAngler]

I'm by no means a kamloops expert, but I do believe they don't travel very far from where they are stocked...hence the reason they are only caught in the lester and french river areas. I think if they DNR had their way they'd eradicate the kamloops stocking in superior all together, too good for the economy up there (despite the fact the population is on a downward spiral). Popular theory is they are cross breeding with steelhead and ruining both strains of fish.

I wonder why they couldn't get any of the normal rainbows this year. I'd like to see the DNR add splake to square, but with the trout stocking cutbacks this year, I doubt that'd ever happen.

[hunter322]

was out there today with the father in law. only caught three. two of the smallest northerns ive ever seen in my life and 1 nice perch. pretty darn slow. tried three diferent spots and really didnt even show any fish on the vex. i dont think ill be going back.

[HookEmHard84]

So this weekend I am planning on heading out to Square to take a shot (not expecting much) at catching some trout and maybe some panfish.

Here is a regs question for you guys. Now in the past we have always set up our tip-ups when ice fishing for trout. With wally/northern season being closed now would I get grief over using them? We rig them up with fatheads, not suckers or anything.

[DonBo]

So this weekend I am planning on heading out to Square to take a shot (not expecting much) at catching some trout and maybe some panfish.

Here is a regs question for you guys. Now in the past we have always set up our tip-ups when ice fishing for trout. With wally/northern season being closed now would I get grief over using them? We rig them up with fatheads, not suckers or anything.

No law against it. However if you were witnessed catching some pike that way and you kept it up, then you could be in some trouble.