Fish Lake lake trout?

[catchinon]

I'll be heading back down to Fish Lake on Saturday with a small group. I caught plenty of perch and some smallish trout last week, and have figured that part out. Now I want to catch some lakers and bigger rainbows and splake. Can anyone give me a crash course in how to fish for macks there? Any help you can give will be much appreciated. Peace
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[PBH]

There aren't any "bigger" rainbows. For whatever reason you choose, Fish Lake just simply does not produce rainbows much bigger than what you've already caught. If you are after rainbow trout, there are numerous better rainbow trout fisheries all over the state that you can go to. Fish Lake is not a rainbow trout destination.

To catch the bigger lake trout, you have to do 1 of 2 things:

A. Get lucky
B. spend a lot of time fishing deeper water without much action.


Large fish (splake and lake trout) can be caught using your standard techniques fishing in 20 - 40 feet of water. It happens all the time. Call it luck, or whatever else you want. Those big fish will very often be found cruising that weedline looking for a meal. So, you could simply stay in close to the weeds and have much better action and just cross your fingers that you might get something big.

Or, you can head out to the barren waste-lands of 70 - 100 feet of water and fish right next to the bottom. Watch your sonar. Cross your fingers. Drink a lot of coffee. Oh, and cross your fingers.


Good luck. You might get that "big" fish on your next trip. Or you might spend the next 25 years trying to find that "big" fish. That's the great thing about fishing: you just never know what's going to grab your line.
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[fuzzyfisher]

find 80 feet of water use a 4 to 6 inch tube jig with sucker or chub meat on it not a big chunk.. just a small strip.. put it down and pound the mud! we caught a bunch of splake and a 5 lbs and a 7 lbs laker not to long a go.. was out off lake side!
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[catchinon]

Thanks! That was just about what I was thinking. Any particular colors? What weight jig works with that size tube? How far out onto the lake do you have to go to get to 80 feet?
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[catchinon]

Thanks for all the good information. I somehow missed your post until now or I would have replied sooner. I sure appreciate you sharing your experience, expertise, and wisdom. I'm still catchinon.
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[PBH]

[quote catchinon]T How far out onto the lake do you have to go to get to 80 feet?[/quote]


That completely depends on where you are on the lake. For most of the western side of the lake, you'll have to walk out several hundred yards before you find water that deep. But if you go out from Joe Bush it won't be as far. The east side drops off quickly.


You really don't have to be right at 80'. Anywhere from 40 - 80' should be fine if you are targeting lake trout specifically.

I'll see if I can find a contour map of Fish Lake...
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[catchinon]

Thanks. You're the best.
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[Lve2fsh]

This is the map I found online
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[PBH]

that looks like a pretty decent map. The only issues I see are all the misspellings (Bonery Haven??). But I think it is sufficient to show depth estimations for this discussion.

thanks!
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[liketrolling]

here is the contour map of FL
I enlarge it to 300 Pixels so you may be able to zoom in
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[a_bow_nut]

There is a much more detailed map on the navionics web site.

https://www.navionics.com/charts

You can zoom in on the map to look at the bodies of water that interest you and it will show you what they have in their data base.

As more people add the maps that they have made the site keeps getting better and better.
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[fuzzyfisher]

pearl with silver flake if you can find them.. i got them custom made! pearl works to.. and they are easy to find..
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[Koko21]

I heard the key was to head to Mackinary and then to Bonery Haven. They say it's a good time

Great map
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[catchinon]

Thanks to everyone who replied. The maps are especially helpful. Anyone want to translate the misspelled words? I'd hate to ask a local where I could find Bonery!
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[PBH]

Bowery (Bonery)
Mackinaw (Mackinary)
Cheese Hole (Chaese, Chase)
Pelican Point (Peloan Port)

Tanisha Bay -- this is correct, but I've never heard anyone call it that. People usually refer to this area as Lakeside (Marina) or Dr. Creek.

Mytoge -- correct! My-toe-gee
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[catchinon]

Thanks for the clarification. I hate to get names wrong. Reminds me of when I was pronouncing that lake Man-to-ay when it's actually Man-away. Of course I could be a little off in my pronunciation since I moved to Spanish Fark. Down here the old-timers ride harses, eat carn, and worship the lard! [sly]
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