Northern Minnesota fishing

I have a great opportunity to spend 7 days this summer canoeing in the boundary waters of northern Minnesota/southern Canada with a scout troop. Anyone have any experience fishing up there?

Thanks,

Russ (normally in NC)

Babe Winkleman, Larry Dahlberg and Jerry McGinnis all have first hand knowledge I'm sure. I'd start by googling Jerry McGinnis.

Russ,
I have made the trip 13 times and I'm itching to go again. You will absolutely love it. Please post some pics when you get back.

You'll find Pike and Walleye, but it is known for the SM fishing. The area is beautiful, the portages are well marked (with canoe rests on the long ones), and the campsites are great. You'll find a fire pit and a latrine a short distance behind. I am very jealous - enjoy!

I have fished the Boundary Waters many times and have never returned disappointed. It's a huge area (over 1,000,000 acres) of varying terrain. You can find big lakes, little lakes, river systems, small creeks and marshy areas. Water goes from very shallow to very deep - over 150'. The fishing opportunities can be very different depending on where you go. (In addition to the species previously mentioned, you can also find lake trout and crappie)

I've had the most success with a fly rod fishing for northerns and crappie early and late in the year. Not so much in the middle of summer - although I haven't targeted SMB. Spinning rigs work all year. (I've never figured out a successful approach with a fly rod when lake trout are hanging out in 90' of water)

I have a couple of old books I've found to be very helpful: The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Volume 1: The Western Region and Volume 2: The Eastern Region - both by Robert Beymer and published by Wilderness Press. They will give you a good idea of what you can expect in the part of the BWCA you're heading for - as well as an idea of the fish you will find there. (These aren't fishing guides - they're route guides). I think they're still available - and perhaps someone has written a more current version. REI can be a good source for that kind of thing - as well as waterproof maps of the area you'll be in.

Enjoy God's Country - and don't forget to bring your bug dope!

I have fished/canoed in the Boundary Waters and Quetico several times. It is beautiful there and the fishing is excellent. You can target northern pike and smallmouth bass with a fly rod. If you happen to be on the right lake at the right time, you could be in for some outstanding evening topwater smallmouth bass fishing. I would take a seven or eight weight fly rod for bass and pike fishing and a medium action spinning rod for walleye, lake trout and deeper water bass fishing. If you don't use spinning tackle make sure that you take a fly reel spool loaded with some type of sinking line for getting flies deep.

If your trip schedule is such that you will have time to do some serious fishing, a portable sonar unit (fish finder) is well worth taking. A sonar unit will enable you to locate structure such as drop offs and underwater humps that hold walleye and bass.

What time of the year are you going? It will definately make a difference.

If your planning on being there over the next month or so, you be hitting the smallie spawn and will be able to fish topwater all you want. If your planning on being there in late July or August, during the heat of summer, you'll need to fish early or late to use a floating line. During the day use a type 5 or heavier full sink line to target smallies.

Target walleyes with a full sink line and a floating fly and you could catch a few.

Pike a floating line early or late will do the trick.

Kevin