Chamberlain Narrows fishing report

[Boomer]

Hello,

I'm a new member, but I've been learning a lot from all of you over the past few weeks and have enjoyed both the fishing and hunting forums. Thanks for all the info..

I'll be going up to Lac Suel for the first time June 15th and I'm just wondering how the fishing has been around Chamberlain Narrows. Any tips or reports will be appreciated.

[PikeStrike]

Boomer,

I second the request for reports. Our group will be there the 24th.

As for tips: if you're staying with Ojibway Outfitters you probably won't have to leave the dock unless you want to.

[Hugo]

Was there a couple years ago..that dock fishing at Ojibway is insane!!! What a blast.

Hugo

[Boomer]

I see a lot of pictures on their HSOforum that say they caught them off of the dock, but I didn't really believe it until now! Now you guys have me really pumped to get up there. 3 days to go!

The forecast looks a little sketchy too, so we may be fishing off the dock more than I'd like to.

Thanks for the info!

[Zaraspooks]

Boomer -

I can also confirm that some of my best fishing is off the dock. I've been staying at Lac Seul Outposts for 14 years and we always do well off the dock. Our group goes every year for the opener. Typically we find lots of numbers and some very nice fish. This year our group didn't get into the real big ones but we did have two 28"ers, a 27.5"er, and many 24"-26"ers. Good Luck!

I just got back from a week at a lake about 100 miles NE of and all I can say is prepare for bugs. My legs are so eaten up that the look like I have chicken pox.

[Boomer]

Spook,

I hope we have as good of luck as your group did. I would love to hook into a 30+, but as long as we have some action we'll be happy. I'll also be sure to toss in some 100% deet! Thanks for the heads up.

I leave tomorrow and will be gone for a week, but I'll be sure to give an update when I return.

[Fish Head]

Our group is arriving on the 25th of June. This will be our 3rd year in a row. If you look at the HSOforum under fish photos, the last photo is my son with a 40" northern he caught off the dock last year. I can't wait!

What is the water level this year?

[bbarn64]

I've been there the second week of the season the last 6 years and the fishing rates from great to phenominal, with the difference being the weather. The dock is great fishing if you can find a spot,I,ve seen guys fishing from a $20,000 boat tied to the dock just hammering the 'eyes. The sandbar just north of camp is also a good spot but sometimes can be crowded. Like spook said in a previous post the numbers were good this year but we couldn't consistently find the big mamas, but we are spoiled from past years. I believe it was 2002 that my dad and myself boated over 50 walleyes from 26" to 30" in a week. Jig and minnow is our bait of choice but with warmer water this spring we did catch fish trolling cranks in 10 to 15 feet of water.

[Fish Head]

Pikestrike, Welcome to FM. You will be up there the same time as us. We will have a group of 10, all fathers and sons. I have a silver & black alumacraft with a 140 Suzuki. Good Luck and I'll see you up there.

Anyone have any recent reports.

[PikeStrike]

Thanks Fish Head,

We fish with LakeSide off this message board, and I'm guessing he'll start patrolling the HSOforum for updates this weekend. I guess I beat him to it as I'm just posting to keep the thread at the top. Anyway, I remember you guys from last year. We're a group of six: two grandpas, four dads, five sons, and one grandson, figure that one out.

[whitefish]

PikeStrike,

You'll catch more fish if you cast upstream. Aren't you supposed to be writing something?

[Lakeside]

Pike Strike is correct as usual. He beat me to this thread, but our party is now in full planning mode for our trip to Chamberlin Narrows 24 June - 1 July.

Fish Head - Happy to see you will be in camp the same time we are again this year. Keep those trips with the kids going. This is our 19th annual. Water level looks to be just a bit lower than last year. Check http://www.lwcb.ca/ for complete info on this and last year levels.

Boomer: there are indeed some really big 'eyes to be had. I'm looking at a replica mount of a 31" I released last year in [PoorWordUsage] Bay.

More to follow.

[Fish Head]

Hey Lakeside, how have you been? You are arriving a day before us and staying a day longer......lucky guys.

I tried the link you provided, but I can't find anywhere with the current water levels for Lac Seul on it.

31".....wow, nice fish! What is [PoorWordUsage] bay?

[whitefish]

Hi FishHead,

Look at the Basin Data link on the LWCB site. There is a PDF graph for Lac Seul, that is updated daily, on that page.

[Lakeside]

Fishhead:

Sorry for the incomplete link. As Whitefish points out look at http://www.lwcb.ca/waterflowdata.html then the Lac Seul graph. Looks to me like the water is about 1.5 feet lower than last year, about were it was in 2004 the last week in June.

I'll fill you in on the location of [PoorWordUsage] Bay, and the derivation of that name in camp. 5 days and counting.

[PikeStrike]

Oh geez, 1.5 feet lower, that will probably put the school of walleyes an extra 4 feet further out from the dock. We might have to use our boats.

As for [PoorWordUsage] bay, don't listen to Lakeside.. he doesn't know how to get there anyway. We blindfold him and drive him out. He catches the big ones and begs every morning for a return trip.

[Fish Head]

Thanks for the update on the water level graph. I sense a little inner group rivalry going here.

Do you guys fish for muskies up there too? I plan on spening a little more time on Muskies this year. Maybe 75% walleye and 25% musky? I'll have to see how it goes.

[Lakeside]

Fish Head:

Maybe just a wee bit of rivalry between members, and generations of the group. Youth and vigor vs wisdom and cunning. Nice part is it's a never ending story, we just keep on going and going. This is year 19 for the group.

Muskie fishing? I'd say that given the option our group would be about 25% Walleye and 75% Muskie. Grandpa, Mikey and Pike Strike all put 'skis in the boat last year, with Pike Strikes being the nicest. Muskie Pic

[Fish Head]

Hey Lakeside, GREAT PHOTO ALBUM! I looked through all the photos and believe it or not, I'm in one of your pictures. A few photos before the nice musky, I'm on the dock with a black shirt. There are also a couple kids from our group in the photo.

Our trip is a father/son trip also. We'll have 10 in our group this year. It will be my son's 14th birthday on the day we arrive (sunday). My son looks forward to this Lac Seul trip all year. For him, this trip is Christmas, the super bowl and Disney World all rolled up in one.

I can't wait!!

[PikeStrike]

Oh great, now Lakeside is killing me with kindness and promotion. In truth, he's one half of the brain trust that put this trip together 20 years ago.

As for your son, he has plenty of kindred spirits in our group and now is a great time to start up with the skis.

Forget the other stuff, this is how we DEFINE our year. Planning for next year starts the day we get home.

[slow]

Our group received an email yesterday from our Outpost saying water levels are rising back to normal in the area. Just thought I'd give the guys heading later this week an update.

[Boomer]

We just returned yesterday from our first annual trip and had a lot of fun. The majority of fish that we caught were in 12 - 15 feet of water, but in the cabin next to us the guys said they were having a lot of success flipping jigs into 4 to 8 feet of water around the timber. Our biggest fish was a 33 inch pike, but we did catch some nice eyes around 25 inches. The dock was always full of people when we'd come in - we had some stormy weather that kept us off the lake and I assume that's what had others on the dock. I did see someone catch a 40 incher off the dock!

It's the best fishing I've ever had even though we didn't catch the big one. Good luck to everyone going and thanks for the info..