Fishing Update

Summer fishing is under way here at the lodge. Clearwater Lake is a very clear lake and is not stained. Good lure colour choices include the more natural patterns. Silver for sunny days, gold for cloudy days, black, grey, white. In the morning and evening you can throw a splash of colour like orange or chartruese as well.

The mayfly hatch is just wrapping up which noticeably slowed the fishing. The bite should start picking up again.

Water surface temperature is sitting around 70º-72ºF and should increase some more this weekend. Lots of sun to warm it up.

Walleye are deep. Big walleye have been caught on open-water reefs and in behind the islands. Smaller and more active walleye will be hanging around the edges of weedbeds. Best baits to use would be live leeches or nightcrawlers. Lindy rigs, Little Joe spinners, and jigs have produced the largest fish. Also deep diving crankbaits about 7 inches in length would entice larger marble-eyes.

Pike are also deep. Smaller hammer-handles are in the shallows and can be caught on spinnerbaits, in-line spinners, and crankbaits. Larger pike can be caught on suckers, spoons, deep diving crankbaits, large soft plastics, and large spinners. Look for them on deep reefs, deep weedbeds, and trolling between islands.

Muskie have moved out of the shallows onto reefs. They've been hitting walleye and pike that have been caught by anglers. It's quite a surprise looking to see your walleye and a gaping mouth coming to swallow it. Large swimbaits, spoons, in-line spinners, crankbaits, soft plastics, and suckers. Look for them between 20-40 ft. of water.

Bass are finished spawning and are starting to bite again. The larger fish are in about 12-20 ft. of water and are hitting nightcrawlers, leeches, and soft plastics. Smaller ones can be caught on topwater and jerkbaits in the more typical bass areas. (docks, rock piles, lily pads, beaver houses, etc.) There's been a few 20+inch smallies landed on Despair and Footprint using leeches. Also we can arrange for you to portage into Cedar Lake, a very accessible bass lake. Have a chance at smallmouth, largemouth, and big pike. Lures to bring: X-raps, flukes (jerkbaits), poppers, frogs, plastic worms, and spinnerbaits.

Remember to re-spool your line, wrap your rod tips, sharpen or replace your hooks, check your split rings, and stock up on the essentials.