Best Trout Fishing

[smackthewalleyes]

I have never caught a trout through the ice and I am really thinking about planning a winter trip specifically for trout. I know this is a tough question because a person can never be sure of anything fishing, but where in the midwest would be my BEST chance to catch a trout through the ice? Thanks for the help.

[reinhard1]

my suggestion would be depending on how far you want to travel and how long you want to stay would be the gunflint trail or the finland/isabella area. if you decide on those areas i can help you as well as a lot of others on this thread. now if you want a closer place and just go for a couple of days there is a lake near sandstone where you have a good chance for trout also and you could stay in the hinckley gran casino overnight and your about 12 miles away from the lake. good luck.

[munchy71]

Are you talking lake trout or rainbows/steelheads, browns, brookies and the like?

-Munchy

[reinhard1]

munchy, are you asking me ? if you are i am talking locations for rainbows, splake, lake trout, brookies, and browns that i could help with. good luck.

[smackthewalleyes]

I guess I am looking for any trout that will fight like crazy. I am a complete Trout rookie and I heard that trout fight like crazy. What type of trout do people fish the most for in the winter usually? Basically, I have caught northern, walleye, sauger, perch, crappie, bass, and almost every other fish except for trout through the ice. Just looking for a fun fight with a short rod!

[munchy71]

ACtually, I was asking Smackthewalleye. In Iowa we actually have urban trout fisheries that they stock in the winter and you can catch rainbows right along with the panfish. Otherwise his best bet is to travel to big water for lakers, steelhead, coasters, browns and splake.

-Munchy

[Turkeynate1]

Tough to beat Lake of the Woods for Lakers. Sioux Narrows area. This would be for lakers. If you want to hear your drag scream... Lakers through the ice is what you are looking for. Best fighting fish I have caught through the ice. You will love it.

I realize this isn't in the Midwest but it's definatley a destination worth the drive.

Someone else will have to chime in on the other species, but I'm guessing you would need to go further north for them.

[AugieAngler1010]

I have never caught a trout through the ice and I am really thinking about planning a winter trip specifically for trout. I know this is a tough question because a person can never be sure of anything fishing, but where in the midwest would be my BEST chance to catch a trout through the ice? Thanks for the help.

I grew up in the Twin Cities and spent years chasing trout through the ice. Bar none the best winter trout fishing I've ever had has been in the Black Hills. I'm not even going to talk numbers because nobody would believe it anyhow. Pactola, Sheridan, and Deerfield would all be lakes that kick out good numbers of fish. If you hit Deerfield you have a shot at a world class brookie, Sheridan's rainbows are bigger on average than elsewhere, and Pactola has lake trout if you're into that.

[bassmann77]

Try Burntside in the Ely, MN area. They don't have the size of LOW, but the numbers are there. Being new, this would be a good place to go. I know there is a guide that advertises on the top of this page that guides that area. There is a lot of reports in the Minnesota Area section under the Ely Index that can get you started. I just started Laker fishing through the ice, and it is the best fighting fish with an ice fishing rod one can have IMO.

[JBMasterAngler]

Burntside Lake in ely or Gunflint Lake in grand marais would be good bets for lake trout. Grindstone lake in hinckley would be a good starter lake for you...it's stocked with rainbows and lakers. And it's close enough where you can make numerous day trips to get some experience in.

[quijibo]

I didn't even realize that there were any Lake Trout left when I lived in Minnesota, they seemed to have fished them all out of Whitefish Lake and I wasn't aware that they grew them anywhere else. Trout seem to be the easiest fish to pull out of these "lakes" in Colorado. I'll agree that a 40" Laker can wear you out, but 20" Rainbows are fun too, plus they are way easier to catch and they're tasty to boot.

I know it looks small in the pic, our guide wouldn't let me hold it vertically.

Adam

[NoWiser]

If you have access to a snowmobile and want the funnest fishing trip of your life, head to Ontario to chase some lakers. Its not much farther (if not, closer) than NE MN from you, and the trout fishing is out of this world. Especially if you can get up there in January. Word of advice...bring an extra rod or two. I have seen 4 snapped so far from these fish in the last couple years.

[Craig Selland]

What Lake in Ontario? Would you get a guide service or just go solo? Thanks.

[Gissert]

Crow Lake in Ontario is good, and Muskie Bay is a good resort that will guide. You can also fish Lake of the Woods for crappies, perch and wallyes as well.

[NoWiser]

Check out Gateway North Outfitters, they are a sponsor on this site. I've been friends with the owner for quite a few years now, and we stay at his outpost cabins on either Dogfly Lake or Pipestone Lake. Unlike Crow, you will probably not see another fisherman the entire trip. I've been up there on 8 or 9 4-day trips, and I think I've seen people (other than our group) 3 times off in the distance. The average size of fish is also much nicer, from what I've heard. If you don't like the idea of staying in a cabin in the absolute middle of nowhere with the nearest people 25 miles away, Muskie Bay might be a better choice. Lucas will guide you if you want but, honestly, it isn't necessary. If you talk to him before you head out you will be on fish in no time. Finding your own spots is half the fun anyways! There are trout everywhere in those lakes.

This is typical of the fish you will catch, with bigger fish common and always a chance at a true monster. There are also walleye and crappie lakes that are accessible, but you won't even think about them after you hook into a couple big lakers. If you have any questions send me an email at j(dot)gerold(dot)gbc(at)gmail(dot)com

[Steve Foss]

Smackthewalleyes, ditto on lakers being the strongest trout through the ice. They are hard-wired to pursue, fight harder than any fish I've ever pulled through the ice, and the combination of video game (with on-ice electronics when they come sprinting up 60 feet to smack your lure) and full-contact wrestling is unbeatable.

First time it happened to me I became instantly addicted, and still am.

I'm the aforementioned guy who advertises/is a sponsor here for laker guiding out of Ely. Sure, it'd be great if you booked with me, but there are a few things to consider. If you want to head to Ontario to fish, there are some great options. You'll need a U.S. passport/pass card and Ontario license and outdoors card. If you want to snowmobile in across the border, you'll need a Remote Area Border Crossing Permit, too. It is one of the great fun types of laker fishing in winter, absolutely, and an adventure sledding into true trophy laker water is there for the taking. I'll be doing more of that myself this winter, though I won't be guiding in Canadian waters.

If you want to hit a drive-to lake close to the border but on the American side, one that has excellent numbers and good size (bigger fish of the winter typically are around 12-15 lbs), Burntside Lake is an excellent choice. Only a few miles out of Ely, with plenty of motels and amenities, and one can either drvie pickups/SUVs, ATVs or snowmobiles, depending on ice/slush conditions at the moment. Average fish will run 2-8 lbs, with the occasional 10+. It's also a gorgeous, 7,500 acre Canadian Shield type of lake with great scenery and clear deep water.

You've gotten lots of good advice already.

If you opt for the Canadian adventure, I'd for sure check out Gateway North Outfitters. They get consistently excellent reviews, will put you on fish, and I'd have no hesitation booking a trip with them myself. Even laker veterans can benefit from a guide on unfamiliar water/ice. Whichever way you go, good luck. You may find yourself powerless to resist the addiction when that first 5-lber slams your lure and makes your drag scream.

Lakers are also excellent on the table. It's a char like a brookie, and IMO the char family kicks cuisine butt on rainbows or browns.

If you want to find out more about Burtnside laker guiding, you can click the link that's always in my sig below, or just click here. For info on Gateway North Outfitters, you can click here.

Here are a few from Burntside.

A pair of 4s

An 11

A 7

[10,000 Casts]

Crow, LOTW, Pipestone, Lower Manitou, Rowan are all world class Laker Lakes in Ontario less than 2 hours over the border. And there are many more.

Do a search for sunset country Ontario

[NoWiser]

Although I've never fished with Steve, a glance at his past posts will tell you he is THE expert on Burntside Lakers, and fishing in that area in general. If you want to stay in this great state to fish, I would definitely get a hold of him.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks NoWiser.

I should also mention Jim Hudson, an excellent multispecies (including trout/salmon) guide who fishes Lake Superior on Chequamegon Bay and the Apostle Islands out of Bayfield, Wis. Quite a few different trout species to be had in the bay itself through the ice, and if ice allows (some years it doesn't), there are some big lakers around the Apostles.

Jim also is a site sponsor/advertiser, and you can find info on him by clicking here.

While all three options have great lake trout in common, Burntside, Ontario inland lakes and Lake Superior offer distinctly different adventures. So keep asking questions and we'll chime in and help you narrow it down. You've come to the right site to ask!

[KG243]

I can atest to Steves guide service as he is top notch and can teach you what you need to know for laker fishing!

[smackthewalleyes]

Wooow...thanks for all the amazing info...I am really doing some research on the lakes mentioned and it is good to know that I don't have to cross the border if I don't want too. It is tempting knowing that I can save some cash by not buying a passport and all that other fun stuff. All these posts are really getting me pumped for a trout trip. Keep the info coming.

[Jim Almquist]

If you take a trip with Steve Foss the odds are pretty good that you will get a few good shots of your Laker

Makes the learning curve just that much faster when someone can show you the ropes and type of spots that hold fish.

[Gunflint Guy]

Is it possible to winter camp in these areas of Ontario? Has anyone ever explored "queensland" camping permits? They are called something like that. I know some of the border waters are technically "provincial parks," so camping permits are theoretically available, but how do I procure one? The MNR web site isn't super helpful. The MNR Conservation Officers are thick on border waters during the winter, so just camping without a permit would be a big risk, although the Pipestone, Crow, Manitou areas seem to be patrolled less than the border.

[Outfitter17]

10,000 cast and Nowiser are dead on when they say there is great laker fishing within 2 hrs of the border. Here are some of the good lakes in the area of course some are more remote that others.

Crow,

Pipestone,

Rowan,

Lower Manitou,

Yoke,

Sullivan,

Bluffpoint,

Helena,

Dogfly,

Mister,

Calder,

Alonghill,

to Name a few.

Gunflint guy - why would you take the chance of getting caught camping outside where you may not suppose to be when cabin rentals in the winter are so cheap? Especially when it is really cold out, I would much prefer a nice warm cabin vs. a cold tent, when you are only talking $40-$50 buck a night.

[superbee]

We have some great laker action just across the border. That is for sure and wide selection of lakes.

Gunflint - I see the CO's on the lakes a fair bit in the winter. I know that NoWiser has seen them on a couple of his trips on Pipestone and the area over the years. They do travel and cover alot more area in the winter than the summer. I wouldn't reccommend doing anything illegal thinking my odds are slim getting caught. In reality, you have alot higher odds being checkeed during the winter than the summer.