Spring 2012: One For The Books!

Record high temperatures have made this March in Northwest Ontario one to remember. Mike Smith of Lakeside Marina reports that on March 11th he ran his Skidoo up a snow bank and down into his truck since the bank was so high, but by March 18th the bank was gone completely!

All snowmobiling in the area has obviously come to a halt because the trails are bare, but fishing has been good, with walleyes making their way into the creeks. ATV's may be the vehicle of choice to reach them, though Mike predicts anglers will be hunting walleyes from boats for the last week of walleye season. Fishermen focusing on trout say fishing has been slow, but some are finding ling in the deep reefs where they come in to spawn.

Giselle Ryczek only needed a one pound walleye to claim the grand prize at the annual Gyro Club Fishing Derby earlier this month. She opted for the $1,000 instead of the fly-out fishing trip. Congrats Giselle!

Thank you Gary Smith for providing photographs of the Gyro Club Fishing Derby!

Let's Go Fishing!

According to Mike Smith of Lakeside Marine in Red Lake, fishing in the Red Lake area has been good to exceptional so far this year, with the longer days of March promising an uptick in the walleye action as the fish begin to find their way to creeks.


Little Trout Lake, about 20 miles south of Red Lake, has been a consistent producer, with anglers having the best luck in shallow water—30 inches of ice, 3 feet of of water! Lake trout fishing on Trout Lake has reportedly been a bit slow, but the smaller trout lakes in the Woodland Caribou Park have been producing nice eating fish in the four to five pound range. Fishermen report good results when using Vexilars, and they are finding fish suspended around 23 feet, though some stick to fishing off the bottom, no matter what the depth.


Mike reports colored jigs and minnows are the baits of choice and noted some camps in the area, such as one on Lake Vermillion, are renting out cabins for overnighters. Area anglers have been looking forward to the Mackenzie Island Gyro Fishing Derby to kick off March. Watch this blog for photos and results!

Photo Credit: Emily Bates