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 black flies 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 annual 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:
reduction in our daily limit (3 to 2 fish, for lake trout),
slot size changes (release the spawners, all species),
reduce the number of lines for winter fishing from 2 to 1,
total ban on gorge style hooks (to allow for live release of some fish)
Contact (in writing) your MPP (if you are an Ontario resident) as well as the current Minister of Natural Resources. Encourage your families, co-workers and friends to submit a letter. You do not have to be a resident of Ontario to object to this regulation. The future of fishing is in everyone's hands!
UPDATE: Further information will be posted here as I receive it.
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. MNR supplied TAFIP with the tags. 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 TAFIP in Temagami 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 TAFIP (705-569-3240) and then release it back into the lake. This will tell TAFIP 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.
Who owns these keys?
Somebody left these two sets of keys in the grey Silvercraft boat last fall. I found them when they fell out from under the seat as I flipped the boat over for use this spring. I do not know how long they were there on the floor last summer but I don't recall seeing them at any time nor were they reported to me by other customers. Both fobs were connected but I separated them before taking this photo. All five of the keys are identical with Stanley stamped on one side and the number 810 stamped on the other side and each will open the same lock. The two key fobs are also unique. One has an ellipse with Canada stamped on both the front & back and inside is another free spinning ellipse (in chrome or shiny metal) with nothing stamped on it. The other fob appears as a lock (but isn't) with a metal roped cable that spring-releases to remove the keys. There aren't any stampings on this fob. If these are your keys, phone or email me and I will quickly send them back to you.
2023 SUMMER FISHING REPORT.
Saturday, August 26, 2023. It's been another week of great fishing with walleye being the main target species again. It was a real close toss-up between pike and bass for second place. Most bass have left the shallow waters of 10 feet or less already and are heading into deeper autumn locations. Small bass, usually under a poun, are still being caught in the shallow areas. It won't be long now until their fall favorite colors of motor oil, a goldish speckled rubber tube with dark flecks in it and a purple rubber tube called kool-aid with darker purple flecks will be the main attractants for bigger bass. Pike are still predictably hitting anything that shines and moves but yellows, red & whites and chromes are their favorite colors. Water temps are also cooling off a bit and the surface temp at the dock yesterday was 68 F or 20 C. There are still raspberries & blueberries for anyone wanting to get out of their boats, stretch their legs and find a sweet snack to munch on.
Friday, August 18, 2023. Walleye again continue to be the main fish caught lately. Water temps are just starting to cool down slightly and this could be the reason that we're seeing more of this species. There's still good counts of both bass and pike coming in also. I'd like to remind any trout fishermen that there's only a couple weeks of fishing left for catch & keep lakers then in September, it will be catch & release for that month before season closes for the summer. Sufficient rains have kept the ground moist for shore lunch campfires but, as always, caution is urged especially on windy days.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023. For the first time this summer, walleye have been the main fish being caught. On some days, there weren't any other species coming in to be cleaned. This has happened in the past but this is earlier than I can remember it happening in any year. Bass are still #2 and followed by pike. I haven't have any trout fishemen lately. For anyone interested in other things to enjoy, blueberries, although scarce right around Temagami, are plentiful north of here. Suffucient rains have shown good results starting to happen for mushroom foragers in this area. Currently there are not any fire bans but, as usual, caution is always urged with fires when having shore lunches.
Thursday, July 3, 2023. The fishing has really picked up this week with good catches of bass and pike. Walleye weren't all that far behind them but they have a much smaller "bite time" in the couple hours before sunset so there's less pressure on them and hence, few numbers caught. Like most of North America, we have had some serious heavy smoke days over the past week or so because of the forest fires north of here and in Quebec so people haven't spent as much time on the water. For the last few days, the air quality has improved significantly. And like the rest of northern Ontario, there is a complete fire ban on open fires which means there are no campfires allowed anywhere for any reason. I was in the bush this past week and there is very little greenery anywhere and a complete lack of wild orchids & mushrooms to be found. Black flies are gone now but we still have mosquitoes and deer flies. The surface water temperature this afternoon was 80 F as per a customer's fish finder. Unless we get some serious rains, blueberries won't be much of a crop this year. If anybody is looking for accommodations, I do have openings here and there for days, weekends or a couple full weeks yet this summer. Call for further info.
Thursday, June 22, 2023. Fishing has really picked up over the past couple weeks. All the bass have finished spawning and the little guys have disappeard from along the docks and the lake front. The water temps have risen significantly also with the heat wave we are enduring. As usual, bass will strike at anything you throw at them from live bait such as worms and leeches to spinners to diving assemblies to top water splash baits. Pike have also been active, mostly in the bright sunshine with reds, yellows and lots of chrome being the most productive. Walleye still prefer live bait such as leeches and worms and are the hungriest in the last couple hours before the sun falls below the horizon. It has been brutally dry here for well over a month now and very litle precipitation has kept the total fire ban (that means no campfires allowed anywhere) and there's no indication that it will be lifted in the foreseeable future.
Sunday, May 28, 2023. Fishing has been slower than expected so far this spring but the predominant winds have come from the east and that is not condusive to good catches. We have had fair catches of pike so far and with the late spring and walleye spawn, these fish aren't really in the feeding frenzy as of yet. Today, I noticed the first bass starting to make the annual nesting spot for the female to lay her eggs in shortly. Water is at normal summer opperating levels and the water temperature is rising but still chilly to swim in. We have had a decent amount of rainfall so forest fires aren't a threat yet but with the high temperatures predicted for the coming week or so and low chances of more rain, please be careful with any shore lunch camp fires.
Sunday, May 7, 2023. Although the fishing season doesn't open for a couple weeks yet, I thought I'd menttioon that the ice went off the bay earlier this past week and the main lake opened up on Wednesday or Thursday. The water is still cold at 4 C or 40 F and we are at normal full operating levels already. Most of the snow has melted in the bush but patches can still be found on the north-facing slopes in some areas. Some of the locals have had some luck catching whitefish (with open seasons all year) from the shorelines with anything that is small, white and chrome. When season does open, I'd expect to find lake trout in the shallows or in front of beaver houses where they will be looking for minnows. If you're planning on trolling over big water, bring chrome & blue Cleos (plain or hammered) and run them basically in the prop wash not more than 30 or 40 feet behind the boat at a moderate trolling speed. Then hang on tight. For anyone looking for splake, speckles, rainbows or lake trout in stocked lakes, remember that the season for stocked fish is open all year and they would also be top feeders right now. There are still some accommodations available for the opening weekend in 2 weeks. Emails always work but if you would rather phone, call after dark any night as I'm probably outside most days.
2022 SUMMER FISHING REPORT.
Wednesday, November 30, 2022. I know it's been a while since this was updated but I think we have finally found the bug that was delaying everything. Summer fishing is now long-past and there is a skim of ice on area lakes. Snow has come & melted a few times and today's rains aren't helping the snow to stay again.Boats are out of the water and turned over for the winter. Overall, it was a good year of fishing with walleye being the main catch of the last part of summer. And the pike were biting a lot better this year than last. Bass is always an easy and tasty catch. This will be the last posting in here for this year. After sufficient ice is on the lakes, I'll start writing about the ice fishing on that page. Looking forward to seeing everybody again next summer. Have a happy holiday season. Thanks, Doug.
Sunday, August 8, 2022. Just another week of great fishing again ... lots of walleye and bass. There were a few dandy size pike hooked but they did the predictable "self-release" right at the boat again. One whitefish, (which is a rare summer catch) was also brought in. And we got rain... lots of it! It's cool and drizzling here for the rest of the day.
Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Fishing has picked up again after the sweltering heat spell of the past couple weeks. It's been a toss-up between the walleye and bass with pike running a close third. Worms, leeches and artificial baits in both plastics and lures are all performing quite well. Water temps have also cooled down a bit. We're finally getting the rains that were completely absent for so long and forest fire risks have been reduced. Blueberries are now swelling up with the moisture and are plentiful as are early season mushrooms. Mosquitoes are about 95% gone. Life is good.
Tuesday, July 12, 2022. This summer continues to be one of the better summers in a long time. The walleye fishing has been exceptional with several days having nothing else coming across the cleaning table. As for bait, worms and leeches are both bringing in full counts of fish. On most days, bass are a distant second and there are occasional pike being caught. Last night was the exception with more pike than bass but walleye were still way out in front. Black flies are long gone now but there's still mosquitoes and deer flies to deal with. The bush is very dry so please exercise extreme caution with any shore lunch fires. Blueberries are small & bitter and could really use a lot of rain.
Tuesday, June 14, 2022. All the baby bass have hatched now and there are millions of them all along the breakwall and docks. The males have left the nests and the little fish are on their own now. Tonight, I wet a line for the first time this year and it was not disapointing. After releasing a 12" walleye and then a 15" pike, I finally caught a 1 1/2 poud bass and a 16" walleye. My partner, John, released a 12" pike and kept a 15" walleye. 6 hits, 6 fish in the boat, 3 gone back and 3 to eat. All in an hour and a half. ... with no lost tackle and we didn't shine any of the rocks. Life is good!
Wednesday, June 8, 2022. It's all walleye! After a couple weekends of not even seeing a walleye, things have really changed around this week. Now it's all walleye and not even a pike. And they are everywhere so just pick a spot to drop a line or lure and they are on it in a hurry. Worms have been working better than minnows and nobody is even interested in taking a leech for a swim. Worm harnesses trolled about 1 to 2 feet above bottom bouncers have kept the tackle out of the rock crevices and luck seems to be better when following the wind direction. There's been a few releases of fish in the slot size and only 2 over the slot size and they were also successfully released. 14 to 16 inch fish were the normal and a few smaller ones crossed the cleaning table. Bass are still gaurding their nest sites so they are off limit for keepers here at this lodge as we let the adult bass protect their eggs to ensure sustainable limits of more bass in upcoming years for future generations. There has been sufficient rains to keep the forest floor moist and no fires have been reported lately in the Temagami area. And the black flies are just as hungry as they were in the last report.
Sunday, May 29, 2022. Fishing seasons opened last weekend and it has been great fishing since then. Lots of pike to choose from and the usual "a bass a cast" but they are on the spawning beds so I ask everybody to put all of them back until after the eggs have hatched and the adults have gone back into deeper waters. Surprisingly, there haven't been any walleye yet but they just finished their spawn a couple weks ago so they are still recuperating and should start hitting soon. Whitefish are rare catches in open waters (none yet) and nobody has been looking for lake trout which are still "up" and can be caught in 4 to 10 feet of water in front of beaver houses where they are looking for errant minnows. We have had sufficient rains so fire hazzards aren't all that dangerous yet. Black flies are out and hungry!
Friday, April 15, 2022. I know it's not summer yet but we are getting closer. There's still snow in the bush and lots of ice on the area lakes but shorelines are very unstable and travel is not a good suggestion. My best guess is that we might be in the water in a couple weeks if it stays sunny and warm. Stay off. Stay safe. And I'll see you then.
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