Does Anyone go to Lake Despair/Jackfish?

[Hoffer]

Was just wondering if anyone goes to "Jackfish". We head up through International Falls, then take 11 West then go North about 40 minutes to the Lake Despair landing. Then head up the main lake and angle up through the river system and through a small rapids and then finally hit the "jackfish" chain. Just wondering if anyone here has ever fished the same area - or may have been there this Summer. I would love to compare notes etc...we are heading back up this mid-september and will be glad to share info.

[Toby]

Ah yes, me and my family head up to Lake Despair Lodge every june for our two week trip. We have a 37' motorhome, which has a spot reserved for us as we are good friends with bill and nell. We often go up to Jackfish for walley fishing and also fish about a dozen other lakes in the area. We portage into about 4 different lakes. For the smally action we portage into Ottertail Lake. Last time we caught 21, with 7 being 19" or over.It was awesome. The walleye is what we usally target and do pretty well on Jackfish. Im 15 years old and I helped guide some pilots that were in thearea. I help bill guide on Rainy for northern. We had a great time!!!! Are there any questions you need answered about the lake Despair chain?

[Hoffer]

Toby-

Hey it is a great to learn that there is someone out there who knows the area I am talking about! That is awesome. I go up every year with my good friend from college. He has a cabin on one of the Islands that is about one mile past what we call "the cut". We usually fish all the way up to where you can portage into ottertail but havent never done the actual portage. i would love to try that sometime. I would really love toknow if you know of any great Northern spots or ways you have found to be decent for picking up the bigger ones. We usually hit the bays and throw small shallow cranks or spinner baits etc... for the Northerns - sometimes we get a decent one - but mainly its been just the small 2 to 4 pounders. That is getting frustrating - so I didnt know if you had any good advice for the larger fish. we usually go up through the rapids and then past the cut and fish that area - so maybe you dont get thatfar up?? We dont usually go back and fish the "main lake" but I do hear that is where the larger Northerns are...let me know if you have an e-mail address and maybe I can touch base. If you talk with Bill or Nell - its the Dahles and Rupperts who are my friends that have the cabin. Theyknow Bill and nell real well too - as they have been coming up for years - and most recently we have been coming up in the Winter with the snowmobiles. Thanks for any additional advice. Hoffer

[Toby]

Hoffer,

We often fish up in the area where your friends cabin is at. Usually when we fish for northern we go to Footprint Lake, which is the middle lake in the chain, im sure you know where it is. We usually go there fishing for bass and have a great amount of success. But for northern we fish by just casting up along the shorelines with raps. As for the bigger northern, i would suggest going to the main lake points and try and find the deeper water, as that is usually where the bigger ones lay. Something you might wasnt to consider is going to Ash bay on Rainy. Its a long boat ride and you definetely need a map, but if your after northern it is welllll worth it!!!! I went fishing with some guys who had never picked up a rod before and we caught 20 northern all in the 10-15lb range. We also lost a few larger ones. Something else you may want to try that is a little closer is Loonhaunt Lake. It is at the northeast corner of Jackfish. You have to pull your boat over a small beaver dam and go through a nice little portage but again it is well worth it. If you have any more questions please email me.

[email protected]

[John-Di]

Hoffer, When are you going up? My wife and I are leaving on Sept 4th and staying till the 14th. On your way up stop by. I have a cabin right on 613 before the government dock on Rainy. It is on the right side of the road. A small white cabin with red trim. If we are there either the four wheelers are outside or the motorhome is there. When we were up in June we went to Lake Despair and Footprint for one day. Just kind of Exploring the area. I spent most of the time on Rainy. I hear that below the dam off of Footprint is good. From what I understand you can bank fish there. When we go up in Sept we are going to portage over to Loonhaunt and try to get to Kaiashkons Lake. It looks like about a mile portage. John

[Hoffer]

John-Di

Hey, thanks for the note! We are heading up on the 12th for 5 nights. I would love to go longer - but I am a guest - and my buddy who has the cabin also goes up with his family during the Summer - so vacation time is an issue. I have never tried around the (Contact Us Please) area off footprint. I know one group took a boat ride there one afternoon last year to check it out - but they didnt fish much. I am getting pumped up to go - its always a long wait - and I love it up there - the last couple years we have went were somehwat cool and rainy - thought that might actually help the fishing...but it was still slow for the bigger Northerns. I really do think we have to go back to the main lake for the larger fish - but I just enjoy casting around all the many bays up in Jackfish etc...good luck when you go up - are you driving all the way from Indy?? Thats a long trip - safe travels.

[John-Di]

Hoffer, I have driven it all the way through only once. It was back in march when I had taken my oldest son up to the cabin in the winter. About a 15 and a half hour trip. All the other times we stop somewhere in Wisconsin and sleep for a while. And then back on the road again. This time we are also going to stop in Ely to have lunch with some friends. Although Rainy Lake is a beautiful lake there is something special about the chain of lakes. I have not made it over to West Jackfish. My wife likes to kayak and it seems that the less boat traffic on Jackfish and Footprint makes it more fun. Less of a chance to get swamped. Loonhaunt is especially appealing because there was no boat traffic the last time we were there. It really seemed like we had the whole lake to ourselves. Have you ever had a guide in that area? I wonder about the lake level. I have heard that they have not had much rain and it may be hard to get to Jackfish from Footprint. Let me know if you have any info. John E-mail [email protected]

[Hoffer]

I will talk to my buddy who has the cabin. They have family and relatives who they share the place with - and there is usually someone up there once every other week or so - so they should have a report on the water levels. I know the last time they said it was pretty low - and a few extra rocks were peaking out of the water. We have been going up there for quite a few years - and once up to the part of jackfish that we fish - I know the way around the rocks pretty well. There is a place that we have to go through that we call "the rapids". It is really just a small opening that they have made - I believe years ago with dynamite between the 2 lakes. It is pretty narrow - and there is water running down the "rapids" that you have to slowly negotiate. I run a small 16 foot Lund Rebel with a 40 merc that has tilt and trim - and when the water has been low - I have always had NO problem trimming up the engine and getting up - but sometimes the bigger boats have more of a problem - and have had a few new scratches put in the sides of the boat when the water has pushed them a little too far to one side of the channel. One of the guys going up has a big Crestliner fish and ski - and I know he is a little concerned this year. I will ask my friend to get a current report and post anything I find out here later next week. I wonder if the low water levels will effect fishing postively or negatively. usually when we go up - the weeds in the bays have had time to die out a little and its not too weed choked. most of my group prefers to walleye fish - so they always have some spots for trolling that arent too effected by any minor changes in water level. We have seen the walleye fishing pick up a little inthe last few years...have you guys noticed anything? We only have a 5 hour trip to the border but we usually start out later in the afternoon and then stay at the Falls - get up early and get to the cabin abd start fishing by 10 or so that next morning. I will also tell you that I went up to eagle earlier this year with a different fishing buddy. we stayed at the Falls on a Friday night - got up ealry ( i thought it was early) and left for the border crossing about 5:30 AM. There was already a huge line and we had over a one hour wait in line to get accross. I have been going up for years and have never had that problem - but I think it was really bad because it was a weekend - but I would plan for that if you are heading up over a weekend.

[John-Di]

Hoffer, I would have thought getting to the border around 5:30 am would have been soon enough. We went through on a weekend from Canada to the U.S. and the traffic was backed up to Legion Park in the Fort. That was about 2:00 in the afternoon. I guess it doesn't matter what time it is on a weekend you are just going to have to wait. I have owned my cabin for about 2 years now so I can't really say that I have noticed it getting better. I have read other posts about Rainy Lake and those have said it is getting better. I am catching more and better fish every time I go up but I think that is because I am asking more questions about where and how to fish. I am going to get someone to show me around Lake Despair this time I go. He had showed me around Northwest Bay of Rainy. He has lived there all his life and really knew the area well. I told him that I wanted to go to Lake Despair and Footprint, he said to let him know. I have already let him know and he is going to stop by when I am there. The rapids that you are talking about are a little intimidating. The first time I went through was last year in June. There was plenty of water then and it still was scary. The closer I got to the narrows the swifter the current you see all the rocks to the left to the right under you one wrong move say good bye to you prop. Luckily nothing happened even when I went up in October of last year when the water was down. Take care, I gotta pack. John

[Hoffer]

John - good luck when you go! I would give you my cell phone - but we never get any service where we are. I asked my friend for a report - but havent heard anything yet. I will post something here when I know more. The rapids are actually easier - at least i think - when there is more water going through - when it is lower - it drops your boat even closer to the rocks below and like you said if you sway a little from side to side it could take chunk out of the prop. One year, a guy came screaming through the rapids going down stream. He was a local and had done this before wide open. This time he hit the side of the rocks with his fiberglass boat - and tore a huge hole in it! They had it up on the side of the road going into Fort Frances - and we stopped to take a look - not the smartest thing the guy ever did. We also had a close call one year as we were just about to head up someone came running through downstream and went flying by us - the wake actually soaked my boat and my camera as i was just about to take a picture of the guys going through. It was a real close call. Anyway, have fun - I love it up there - wish I could go for 2 weeks!! I would have no problem with that.

[gnfishn]

Hey Hoffer! Long time no see. If you want to catch some fish just go to Fugawe Bay. ...easy on the Beam this year! He He He

[Hoffer]

Alright - I am just guessing here - but the only Fugawe I can think of who is living in Moorhead is the one and only developer of the "reddapening boat" in poker. Troy, if this is you - I am sure I hacked the spelling of your last name.

Whats up? have you been to canada lately?? keeping in touch with Steve and Scott??

[gnfishn]

Yep that's me. I was hoping to keep you guessing for a while! I haven't been up to the cabin for a lot of years. Probably since the last time I saw you. 7-8 years? I need to get back.

I try to get to Canada once or twice a year, but it's usually to the Red/Winnipeg rivers or to Tobin lake Saskatchewan in search of those double digit 'eyes. A couple of us a going to Tobin the first week of October this year. We have room for a few more in the cabin if you're interested in something like that. Brad's been there twice with us. It's a good time.

I'm in a 3-D archery shoot with Scott this afternoon so gotta run.

Troy

[Hoffer]

Good to hear from You!

I am sure Scott has shown you pictures of the new place - but it sure is nice!! They did a great job on it! I have still been going up once a year with Todd and Brad - think I may have missed just one year in the last 12 or so...Brad has told me about those big eyes on Tobin - I think you guys saw a newer record or record fish being caught ?? The fishing has been getting a little better in Canada the last few years I think - still alot of of small Northerns - but the year before last we got 3 northerns over 12 pounds - which isnt too bad for up there. The eyes are pretty good - but still avergae about 15 inches or so. We should really try to get the whole fugawe tribe back up there if possible!!