Lake Wabigoon, Dinorwic Lake

[traveler]

Any info on these lakes? Just looking for new water to explore. Dinorwic specifically interests me, a couple good options for camping/cabins, fairly reasonable. I'm mostly interested in Muskies/walleyes.

[LMFlyin]

I can not give you great knowledge but for what its worth this is what I know. Our airbase for our outposts is on Wabigoon. I talk to few people fishing the lake who stop by our docks to look at the planes. Some guys do well for walleyes and the next have a tougher time. I think its one of those lakes you got to have an idea of where to go. Wabigoon has tons of structure and drop offs etc. Muskie fishing, got some good ones there. The water is "muddy", you can not see over afew inches deep in the water. So its a lake you will not see the follows. I did witness a guy catching a 46 inch muskie with in casting distance of our planes one day. Wabigoon is a rough lake, get some wind Wabigoon "rolls" like no other lake. I would also get a person with knowledge of the lake mark a map with reefs. Its a tough lake to navigate with all the reefs considering the water is so muddy can not see the rocks until the motor goes boom. The PWT walleye tourney was there the last 2 years, they seemed to do Ok. I know very little about Dinorwic, when flying over the water seems not as muddy over there.

[traveler]

thanks for the quick reply L&M. From what I've read so far, Dinorwic was the direction I was leaning. Hopefully someone will chime in who's fished her.

[fishyguy]

I fished Wabigoon a few years back. What I recall is the water is very clay stained from the clay banks surrounding the lake. We struggled with the fishing of the typical Canadian structure for a few days (reefs, rocky points, etc..)and then had a muskie guy in camp tell us he was catching walleyes in teh shallow weeds throwing for muskies. We then fished the weedlines which is only 6-10 ft deep due to the darkness of the water and started hitting them consistenly but not as well as other lakes we have fished in the area. The fish are the fattest fish I have come across. They appear to eat very well in that lake. We stayed at Indian Point Camp. Different owners now but it was inexpensive and nice enough. This was in the last week in August.

[traveler]

thanks fishguy. Just looking for different Can lakes to try...

[MuskyBrian]

My advice would be to look in a different direction. The muddy water of Wabigoon gets old real fast. Throw in the fairly busy traffic that Dryden produces, along with the sight/smell of that paper mill, and I personally think that there are much better options available for NW Ontario

[traveler]

thanks Brian. Any suggestions? What I'd like is a decent size piece of water with a good shot at muskies and hopefully enough walleyes to stay well fed. And some solitude, although I don't need the place to myself. I just figured by driving a few more hours I could get into a little more untraveled waters.

[LMFlyin]

traveler, which lakes have you been too? Have you tired Pipestone?

[Outfitter17]

Traveler,

If you are looking for a really good muskie lake with plenty of walleyes for a meal or 2, I would check out Gateway north outfitters. They have a very nice outpost cabin on the northeast end of the lake and they are a sponsor of this site.

[traveler]

L&M, nope, never been on pipestone, or really any lakes up there other the Canadian side of LOTW.

Outfitter, what lake do you mean? manitou?

[NoWiser]

Pipestone is great! Very little boat traffic, big muskies,and enough walleyes and trout so that finding a shorelunch is usually not a problem. You will not find a lake that feels much more "remote" than Pipestone unless you go on a fly-in.

[LMFlyin]

I would check into Pipestone for what you are looking for. Gateway North Outfitters has the cabin that Outfitter is referring to on Pipestone Lake.

[MuskyBrian]

Traveler I have been to many lakes up there...

I currently fish Eagle Lake. The Muskies can be tough, but it provides one of the best opportunities to catch trophy caliber fish. I have had no trouble catching walleyes when I choose to, throw in pike, bass and endless amounts of water and structure to fish and this is why I go there. There are several quality and well priced resorts.

Another great lake you might lake is Canyon Lake. The Musky fishing is simply fantastic for numbers. Without a doubt one of my favorite lakes anywhere on the planet. Walleyes are certainly there to be caught as well, guys who target them all week do very well including trophy caliber fish.

If you need any specifi info shoot me an email at [email protected], I have fished many of these lakes from Dryden west to Kenora...

[Outfitter17]

Hi Traveler,

Yes, I was talking about Pipestone when refering to Gateway norths cabin. Check them out.

[traveler]

Thanks guys...but is Pipestone drive in? Brian, where is Canyon? I can't find it on the map.

[LMFlyin]

Pipestone is a boat in. Start at Clearwater Lake, go up Clearwater 8 miles, go across a mechanical portage into Pipestone. Here is Gateway North Web site.

http://www.gatewaynorthoutfitters.net/

[traveler]

I did look at thier HSOforum and saw the mech portage...I was hoping there was another option. I don't think my 20 fiberglass/150 yammy will work on a mech portage, right? I could always take the 16 Lund/25 hp, but i'm kinda spoiled now:)

[NoWiser]

Your big boat should be just fine. I've seen some even bigger boats, and even pontoons cross that portage.

[superbee]

It would come over just fine. Have seen 20' with 250 HP go over with no trouble.

[Outfitter17]

Your 20' fiberglass would be just fine, I have crossed it approx. 1000 times in the past 9 years with my 2050 crestliner with a 225 HO etec.

If you have any questions about the lift, email me at [email protected]

Matt

[traveler]

thanks guys, i had no idea...Is pipestone dark water/stained? I'm always a little leery running the glass boat on unfamilar water. Good lake maps available I expect? Do you know if they give crown land camping permits for that area, and if there are spots to be found for wilderness camping there?

[Outfitter17]

Pipestone is a clear lake, the area is a green zone so there is no non resident camping.

Why would you be worried about the portage if you just want to pull your glass boat up on a rock rubble/beach shoreline? Why don't you spend a couple $ and rent a cabin from Gateway north with a nice dock to tie your boat to in a nice protected bay?

There rates are pretty cheap for what you are getting.

[traveler]

Outfitter...not worried about the portage, just wondering if it were possible. We like to camp:) And have done it on LOTW with the glass boat without resorting to pulling it up on rocks, it just takes a little searching to find a good spot usually. That being said, if there is no camping there, I'll look into the cabins. I don't have a problem dropping a few bucks, it's just that on some lakes it's a long tool back to the cabin and I'd sooner just have a close campsite. For instance, the area on LOTW we like to fish is about 40 minutes back to a cabin/motel with the big boat, over 2 hours with the lund. Quite a run every morning and evening, a lot of gas burned, no going in for a quick lunch or for something you forgot, and a long run if the weather turns sour. I'm guess ing the cabins are closer to prime water on pipestone, hopefully. Thanks for the help.

[NoWiser]

Traveler....you are out of luck as far as camping goes on Pipestone. The good thing is that Gateway's cabin is minutes away from some of the best water. I am lucky enough to have been invited to stay at one of the few private cabins on the lake for the past 6 or 7 years. I find myself running 20 minutes up to that area of the lake almost every morning because that is where the best fishing is.

As far as maps......there are no contour maps of the lake. The reefs are marked pretty well, and with the clear water you can see the shallow areas.

I'm definitely no expert on the lake compared to some of the guys on this board, but I'd be happy to send you an email if you have any questions or if you are interested in heading up there.

[MuskyBrian]

Canyon Lake is approx 20 minutes north of Vermilion Bay,there's a paved road that runs right North out of town that takes you there.