Has anyone tried ice fishing in the BW? I've thought about it for years, but have never tried it. The main reason is that I can't find anyone willing to go with me, and I don't know if I would feel comfortable treking into the back country alone. Perhaps one day I will just man-up and do it.

Sounds cold. If snowmobiles were allowed I'd try it. :) I bet you could do really well though since there's pretty much no winter fishing pressure on most of those lakes.

most of the good fishing lakes are a ways away from the EP so you would have to walk/ski a long ways

I ice fish up there a couple of times each winter, usually combined with dog-sledding and winter camping. Fishing can be outstanding or very slow, but that's the nature of ice fishing, isn't it?

Many lakes have better fisheries now than they did thirty years ago when the snowmobile crowds pounded a lot of lakes.

arctic,

I do not agree with the statement that the fisheries were "pounded" by the snowmobile crowds 30 years ago.

I fished Knife and Saganaga many times the last few years that the snowmobile was allowed, and never saw many other fishermen.

I do agree with your statement that winter fishing is hit or miss, but this holds true whether using a snowmobile, skis, snowshoes, or a dog team to reach your destination.

You also can use two lines now unless fishing a designated trout lake in the winter.

I don't remember having this option when snowmobile use was allowed in the BWCA.

Hey TGO,

One of my best friends, and winter camping/fishing buddy of 25 years is from the Iron Range. When he and I were roommates in college, we would often head back to his house
and talk to his step-dad about the BWCAW, and usually the talk would wind up with his stories of fishing for lake trout on Knife and Little Knife Lakes, easily accessed by snowmobile at the time.

He talked of folks heading up there, catching their limit, bringing the fish back to town, and heading back to catch more fish. Obviously, not everyone was doing it, but it shows how easy the access was and the potential for a lot of pressure on the trout fishery. My impression was that on some weekends folks were strung out along almost every point from Knife on east to Saganaga, fishing and partying it up. I'm not judging it, because if I were an adult back in the 70's I would have done the same thing!

Anyway, around that time Ontario cut their daily trout limit to two, mostly because of winter pressure by anglers accessing remote lakes by snowmobile. My personal impression is that the fishery has improved along the border lakes in the last twenty-plus years since snow machines were banned, and although I still usually see a group or two of anglers when I head up to Knife and beyond in the winter, the overall angling pressure has got to be a tiny fraction of what it once was.

arctic,

I'm sure a few cases of over limits did occur, and some may have been memory lapses or exaggerated a bit.

As you well know from fishing them, lake trout are not the most cooperative angling species so pounding them every trip is questionable.

However,I can believe that many over limits may have been taken in the early 60's when the reliability of the snowmobile was terrible, at best, making extra provisions for several days of unanticipated winter camping, a very good idea:)

There are several guides that will take you out with a dogsled team for lakers in the winter. If you can find the lakers it is great action.

Seeing as we can't "pound" the lakes anymore, maybe we should go back to the real old way... square hooks.

Pirate,

Settle down, Bro!!! :)

Pirate, you ever tried "circle" hooks?