Hello, stumbled onto this forum doing some research for an upcoming trip. I'll be going on the Granite River starting at Sag Falls. Last year, I went from Gunflint Lake to Sag, but only have three days to fish this year.

In all my trips to the Boundary Waters, I have never targeted walleyes. Always went up for the smallies. I am taking a buddy who has never been up there. We would like to try targeting some walleyes this trip.

Main focus will be smallies and, of course, pike as they share the same water. We will be up second week of June. I have either bottom bounced crawlers on Erie for them or floated leeches under bobbers. Do these same techniques work up there?

Looking for any help I can get. I appreciate it.

I use Leeches and slip bobbers on a plain hook for walleye. You can also use a spinner rig or a jig tipped with a leech. I'm not sure if I would bring crawlers.

I have not done well on this route for Walleye. I will actually be doing the same route starting June 15th heading North from Larch to Sag. I have done it twice and only gotten a couple Walleye total. I really cant help you. The couple I have caught were on a jig and leach. There is enough moving water near falls and such I expected to have better luck but it just hasnt happened.

Last year I got a 29" on Larch lake up shallow in the weeds while I was targeting Pike, and caught a 28" below the rapids on CLove lake. But was fishing for small mouth.

I just got back yesterday from a week long trip in this area. We entered at EP80 Larch Creek and exited Sag Falls. I would do the trip in reverse if I were to do it again, and omit Clove & Larch, focusing on Maraboeuf.
We stayed most of the trip on the east side of Maraboeuf. We did real well trolling or casting crankbaits and spoons in the orange marked lines on the map below. We did best on the point (curved orange line) and that location just kept providing walleye and an occasional pike, very few smallies. Almost all the walleye were decent size. We had leeches and crawlers, but didn't need to use too many. Let me know if you have any questions. John

quote plexmidwest: "
"We stayed most of the trip on the east side of Maraboeuf. "

So which site did you stay at? Did you paddle across the lake to get to the fishing area? I was thinking about staying on the west side near your lines (before you mentioned that area) to fish the little island near your lines. I had heard the island can produce decent walleye but never fished it myself.

I stayed at the site above the work LAKE on the map in the narrows. Its a good site, not really any trees in that whole area. There is a great jumping rock there and we caught some decent pike and bass in the narrows.

Ive never fished the west side by your arrows b4. I dont know much about those sites either.

thanks for the tips.

I am focusing on Maraboeuf. I am coming in from sag falls and going out same way. Last year I stayed at the site by the narrows. Nice little spot. I caught tons of SM last year in that stretch.

Thanks for the tips for the walleye. I was thinking about checking that site closest to your line.

I mentioned we stayed on the east side, but it was the west side (blonde moment). We stayed at the middle site in the cluster of 3 on the west side on my map. The island is very small hardly noticeable on the map. Between the island and point worked well for us.
We were hoping to get the site you mention, bushunter, at the narrows, but it was taken. It was a good looking site, the narrows looked like smallie heaven.

So how was the middle site? Was it nice? Would u go back? Did you check the other sites lines up right there? Im a little concerned that those are so close together and that they are the only sites on that side of the lake that there would be a lot of traffic, although Ive never seen a TON of people on this route at the same time.

The furthest west site is unusable in my opinion, it looks like it hasn't been used in years. The other site to the east cannot be seen from this site, it's allot further than it appears on the map. We only saw one other camp used while we were there, over by Devil's Elbow/channel.
I would go back for the fishing, the site was ok. There are 3 or 4 potential tent pads but they were all at a bit of an incline, and made it difficult to sleep comfortably, but I'm in my 50's. Otherwise, I had no complaints with the site. Pretty secluded actually, almost no traffic except one canoe we saw near the island passing by.

The area plexmidwest has marked is where the walleye are on Maraboeuf, and focus on the south side of the little island shown on that map.

Wanted to follow up on my trip results. Did try the areas suggested for walleye without much luck. But didn't hit it very hard either. The trip was pretty windy and made it hard for canoe positioning. Last day we got into a decent mess of walleye by blind luck. Pulled over to eat lunch and stretch legs, and I started walking the back throwing some smallie lures, and caught 3 walleye in about 15 cast, so we trolled back and forth with some jerk baits catching a total of 12 walleye between the two of us.

We caught tons of nice SM. Caught decent amount of pike, but nothing over 33". Did have a monster that was probably pushing 48" hit a small SM at the shore. Will be probably making this trip again next year.