On this page, I will attempt to keep an updated daily/weekly account of summer fishing activities with special emphasis on species of fish being caught, depths (if applicable), water temperatures, color & type of lures and any other pertinent information that could be of assistance and a benefit to our fishing guests.

The winter report on local snowmobile trail conditions for snowmobilers can be found on the snowmobile page. Winter ice fishing reports can be found on the Ice Fishing page. Information will be limited to what's biting best this week. Ice depths will be posted as received from local anglers.

We encourage catch and release of the larger fish of all species to retain limit catches for future generations. Don't forget the camera!

All of this information should only be viewed as a guideline and should never be misinterpreted as cold hard facts in any sense of legal obligations. Absolutely no liability will be associated with this and all users assume all responsibility and consequences resulting from their own actions taken from this information.

A NOTICE TO ALL SPRING FISHERMEN:

The MNR has cancelled our spring fishing opportunities for most species, effective March 15 through the 3rd Saturday in May (i.e. the two-four weekend). This new law will do absolutely nothing to protect the spawning size females of all species; it only stops people from fishing for them for a couple months but come spring, it's open seasons on them again. As a lodge owner, this takes a big bite out of the income that is derived from late winter and early spring fishing. As a sport fisherman, it stops your enjoyment of the sport when the blackflies and mosquitoes haven't began yet. Your annual fishing license should be just that ... a license to allow you to fish ALL YEAR.

There are also major changes to the fishing zones across the province. Seasons have also changed. Slot sizes on some species have also changed. READ AND UNDERSTAND these regulations before going fishing!

Full details can be obtained in the 2010 fishing regulation booklet available from authorized license outlets (but not from the MNR offices; it's not their job offering this info any longer) or at the following site: http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/027028ex.htm . I URGE EVERYONE TO VOICE THEIR OBJECTIONS TO THIS REGULATION.

Possible alternatives could include:

Have you ever caught a tagged fish?

    

Occasionally, fishermen will catch a fish (usually a walleye in Temagami area lakes) that has a stainless steel jaw tag in its bottom lip. The first question that is usually asked is "Am I allowed to keep it?" That depends on the size of the fish; if it is in the slot size, then the answer is unquestionably "NO". However, if it is not a slotted fish, then you can legally keep it. Before you toss it into the live well or onto your stringer, please think of the reasons that this fish has been tagged in the first place. Whether it is a male or female walleye, it was caught in a trap net in a creek or river that is known to be used as a spawning area in the spring of the year. These nets are the property of the MNR and have been placed there by volunteers from the local Temagami and Area Fish Involvement Program (TAFIP) which collects the spawn and raises young walleye to be placed back in a number of different area lakes and to assist Nature in keeping a healthy population of fish for anglers to harvest in future years. This particular fish was stripped of some of its roe or sperm and then both the weights and measurements were recorded before being tagged and then released back into the lake. The jaw tag has a 6- or 7-digit number on it that identifies this fish and the year that it was tagged. If you do decide to keep it, please return the tag to any Ontario MNR office so they can update their data on it. It is also requested that you report the length and weight of the fish as well as the date and name of the lake on which it was caught. If you'd like to keep the tag as a souvenir, that's also allowed but please forward on the info described above as well as the tag number.

The other option would be to weigh and measure the fish, record the tag number (for the MNR) and then release it back into the lake. This will tell the MNR how much that fish has grown since it was tagged. If it is caught again at a later date (possibly years from now) and the info is recorded again, it would greatly add to the knowledge base on the health and sustainability of the species in that particular lake. At the present time, only walleye in Lake Temagami and the Cassels-Rabbit lake system have been tagged.

The odds of catching a tagged fish are about the same as winning a lottery. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of fish that use a spawning area every year. A small percentage of these are caught in the trap nets. Of these fish, even a smaller percentage are ever tagged. As a volunteer with TAFIP, I helped tag about 30 or 40 fish in both lakes in 2009. To give us a good cross-section of all the fish in the lakes, both males and females were tagged and the weights ranged from less than a pound (a male) to one female that tipped the scales at just under 7 pounds. Needless to say, we had much bigger fish in the 10 to 12 pound range that we chose not to tag. The reason that these large fish were not tagged is because we are more interested in how fast they grow and younger ones will grow a lot faster than these older fish.

So ... enjoy your fishing opportunities and perhaps you just might catch a tagged fish. Recording the info and then returning it to the lake (after all the pictures are taken) will assist in proper management plans for a sustainable fishery not just for you to enjoy but for your children and grandchildren to enjoy for years to come. As for the walleye pictured above, it was a 17 inch, 2-pound male that was tagged and released back into Lake Temagami in 2009.

2010 SUMMER FISHING REPORT.

Friday, August 20, 2010. It's been a slow week for fishing as I've been busy preserving the fruits and vegetables for the coming winter so I haven't had a chance to wet a line. However, guests have all reported fair to good catches of bass. Walleye were nowhere to be found and the odd northern that was caught was released back to the lake as those fishermen said they didn't care for the taste of them. Really? To each, his own. Cooler temperatures and a few days of much-needed rain are signalling the beginning of fall already. We've already had a few mornings of thick fog but it quickly burns off by 9 or 10 a.m. With that in mind, walleye should be starting into their fall feeding frenzies in the next couple weeks and they will be moving into the ten to twenty foot depths where, remembering past years, fishermen will be bottom-bouncing black and silver tubes on white jig heads.

Friday, August 13, 2010. I hope the brutally hot and muggy dog days of summer are soon over for another year. High temperatures in the 30's (90's, Fahrenheit) by early afternoon have taken the fun out of daytime fishing so most people have waited until the evenings to wet a line. Fish do seem to bite better then and that has paid off well with good catches of bass and a few northerns being taken. The walleye are still playing their hide & seek games. The high temperatures and lack of any rainfall has made everything extremely tinder dry and this has raised the chances of forest fires across much of the province. Fortunately, there hasn't been any reports of fires. Extreme caution is urged with lunch fires and we ask you to please wet the ground down before you build a fire and light it. Raspberries are now finished and blueberries are becoming harder to find. Be aware that bears are still hungry and will be looking for any source of food including pack sacks, coolers and fish stringers around campsites.

Friday, August 6, 2010. Since last week's report, the fish completely quit biting during the weekend but slowly picked up a bit more every day starting about Tuesday and now they are hitting quite well. Northern pike are just coming back after a few weeks of nothing. Walleye are in their predictable slower feeding frenzies for this time of summer but a few were caught, nonetheless. Bass were making up of most of the catches and averaging in the 1 to 2 pound range, or in simple words, all were nice eating-size fish. Trout fishermen said it was tough going but with persistence, a few were caught in the 3 to 8 pound size and their downriggers were even bringing up the odd whitefish from the 80 to 100 foot depths. Today, a cold north wind is blowing and temperatures are predicted in the single digits tonight so we will have to wait and see how this cold front will affect the coming week's fishing success rates.

Friday, July 30, 2010. All the fish caught during the past week were bass. Most of these were caught on gravel shoals where they are currently feeding heavily on crayfish. The vast majority were the perfect eating size fish between 1 and 2 1/2 pounds with a few lunkers thrown in for excitement before being released again. It was surprising that there weren't any walleye on these same shoals as they also target crayfish as a big part of their diet. Again, there weren't any pike to be seen anywhere and a reasonable amount of time was spent searching for these aggressive delicacies. Hopefully, after this past week's change of moon, more pike and walleye will appear.

Friday, July 23, 2010. Last week's walleye bonanza has held out again with good catches of both the keeper-size fish and several over-size ones that were released to spawn another year. Bass were also biting well with the usual amount of keepers and larger fish for release. However, northerns were again almost absent in this week's catches with only 3 brought in. Talking with fishermen that were on other local lakes, all were reporting the same results. Sufficient rains have kept the bush moist enough that the fire hazard has remained relatively low.

Friday, July 16, 2010. What a change from last week! The walleye certainly turned on and outnumbered all the rest of the species added together. Bass were still good producers and again, pike were slower than we'd expect for mid summer. The largest walleye of the week (taken earlier this evening) was an impressive 28" and 7 1/2 pounds. It was successfully released to lay another 75,000 eggs (10,000 eggs per pound of fish) again next year. Lots of sunshine and only a couple light showers have kept the water temperature between 75 and 80 F or 23 and 26 C.

Sunday, July 11, 2010. Fishing success has been slow to normal over the past week or so with good catches of bass and a few walleye being taken. Pike, for some reason, has been well below our expectations for this time of summer. The lake is slowly coming up but I think the past week's heat wave was evaporating it as fast as it was rising. It is still down almost 2 feet below normal levels.

Tuesday June 29, 2010. Fishing success has picked up over the past week with good catches of walleye being taken in late afternoons and evenings. Bass season opened last Saturday and the annual catch & release tournament was held on this lake on Saturday and on Lake Temagami on Sunday. Both days seen nice catches of 4 to 5 pound fish that were all successfully released back into the respective lakes. Here at the lodge, guests have been bringing in daily limits of bass but, as per camp policy, none were over 3 pounds to ensure maximum populations of breeding size fish for future generations of young anglers to enjoy. With all the bass and walleye being taken, nobody has targeted pike this week. The lake level is rising slowly from the recent rains and is now only about 25" below normal summer levels.

Wild strawberries are plentiful now and there are a few blueberries just starting to ripen already. Sufficient and regular rains over the past few weeks should indicate a good crop this summer. Raspberries will be another couple weeks before they are available. Chances of forest fires are also at a minimum because of the rains we have had.

Thursday June 17, 2010. There hasn't been a lot of fishermen here this past week so I can't really say how they are biting. I was out one evening and caught an eating-size pike which was promptly cleaned and cooked the next day. Others that I have spoken with report that walleye are far and few between this year, echoing the same findings we have had on this lake. What do we look to as for the reason for this: is it because Ontario Hydro was negligent in ensuring the lake water was returned to normal summer operating levels before now (it is still down 30") or is it just one of those years when they are hard to catch? Yesterday's all day rain put 3/4" in the gauge so it may hopefully come up a bit in the next week before the annual Temiskaming Smallmouth Bass Tournament arrives on the opening day, June 26.

Thursday June 10, 2010. It's been a good week of fishing with fair to good catches of both lake trout and northern pike. Walleye were slower than expected but some were caught by the die-hard fishermen. More rain during the week has allowed the MNR to lift the fire ban in the Temagami region and campfires are again allowed. Other areas didn't receive sufficient rainfall and the ban is still in effect. Check their website or ask the locals in the area before venturing out for a shore lunch. Again, watch for the moose both day and night.

Sunday June 6, 2010. We've had a couple periods of rain in the past week that has brought much needed moisture to the extreme dry conditions in the area. However, the rainfall was localized and was insufficient to lift the fire ban that exists across northern Ontario. As a result, the water is slowly rising and is now less than 3 feet below normal summer levels. Plenty of sunshine has brought the water temperature up considerably and is now at 20 C or 68 F. The bass eggs are just starting to hatch and the adults will be off the nest sites well before the opening of bass season on the 26th at the end of the month. Fishing has been steady but it could be a lot better ... or worse. People are reporting fair catches of both northerns and walleye after lots of "practice casts". Jigs in summer colors such as pinks & chartreuse and tipped with a minnow are working well in the daytime but darker greens and blacks are still the preferred nighttime colors. As usual, pike will hit anything that is flashy and moving at any time of the day. Blackflies are all but completely gone now thanks to a higher than normal hatch of their biggest predator, the dragonfly. Again watch carefully for moose crossing the roads both day and night as several more collisions were reported during the past week.

Thursday, May 27, 2010. The recent long weekend proved successful for our fishing guests with decent catches of all species. The 2 largest northerns (a 15- and then a 10-pounder in the same general area about 2 hours later by the same family) were both successfully released. Countless smaller eating size pike made it onto the cleaning table. Our trout fishermen said they caught fish every day but they boated nothing over 5 pounds, all of which were released also. Walleye were the slower and less aggressive species and several were caught but most of them fell into the slot size and had to be returned back to the lake for future spawning opportunities. Light showers fell yesterday and again this evening but we've received negligible amounts of rain and the fire ban is still in effect across most of northern Ontario. Dragon flies are now hatching and are busy eating the black flies 2 at a time. Several moose have been hit on the highways this past week and extreme caution is urged while travelling the local roads, especially at night. The lake level is still down 4 feet and the water temperature is now up to 63 F or 17 C.

Thursday, May 20, 2010. Although the fishing season opened last weekend, there hasn't been any fishermen here to supply me with a report. Nor have I had the opportunity to wet a line this week as I'm still getting caught up on my "honey-do" list. The lake level is still down 4 feet below normal seasonal levels and we haven't had any rainfall to help the situation. The entire northeastern Ontario region is in the same predicament and the MNR has issued a total fire ban on open fires, including campfires for cooking & warmth and the cancellation of all fire permits, effective as of 12:01 a.m. today. Coleman stoves and other related contained heat sources are still allowed for cooking. Blackflies are out in full force and there have been reports of bear sightings but still no reported confrontations in the local area. Finally, be diligent while travelling on all roads both during the day as well as at night as there have been several moose collisions this spring. Enjoy the first long holiday season of the summer.

Thursday, May 13, 2010. It's been a dry spring so far and lake levels are still down 4 feet below normal levels for this time of year. Please remember this if you're planning on doing any fishing this weekend (season opens on the 15th, the third Saturday of May) as you could easily find rocks where you've never known them to be located before. Water temperature is hovering around the 10 C mark and the walleye have long finished their spring spawn. Blackflies have already emerged. Caution is urged with any campfires as the bush is still very dry.

Sunday, April 18, 2010.There isn't much to report but since I haven't updated the website in a month so I thought this would be the best page to do it on. The ice went off the lake about 2 weeks ago and that was the earliest date that I've seen since buying the lodge 24 years ago. It was a funny winter with less than normal snowfall and we've been told that there wasn't a significant amount of moisture in the snow which led to a lower than normal amount of run-off into the rivers and streams when it did melt. Consequently, the lake is just starting to show a rise in water levels in the past few days and the docks are still 7 feet above the current lake level. It's going to be a while before we are up to normal summer operating levels unless there is a significant amount of rain in the near future.

Water temperatures are hovering around 5 C which is not a bad thing as it needs to come up to 7 to 8 C before the walleye will spawn and presently, there is insufficient water in the creeks and rivers for them to spawn in. If it could stay cool and if we have sufficient rains, perhaps there will be proper water depths for a good year-class of young walleye. Please remember that the spring fishing season opens a week before the long May weekend this year (third Saturday of the month). Both the northern pike and the walleye will have finished their annual spawning rituals before then.