Am considering a short solo loop next spring thru Burke/Sunday/Poacher. Primary emphasis is smallmouth, secondary is walleye. Anybody been there recently who has an idea what the smallmouth/walleye populations in those lakes are like?

What about Lake Trout? Burke is a sleeper and I caught 2 in the quick troll through on a travel day. Very pretty copper colored fish.

quote mastertangler: "What about Lake Trout? Burke is a sleeper and I caught 2 in the quick troll through on a travel day. Very pretty copper colored fish. "

Thanks MT. Lake trout would be a nice bonus, but planning to target smallies on this trip.

Went through Burke and base camped on Sunday spring of this year (end of May). Worked hard for smallies but not much luck.
Smallies were slow on both lakes, but Lakers were hitting in 4-10 fow. Caught several and all we're 26-30". Just a few walleye on Sunday lake just south of big island in North East corner. Never been to poacher.

If there are smallies in Poacher, I've never caught them. I've got a few dandies in Sunday, and some good ones in Burke (chceck out the area around Singing Brook Portage).

If you want smallies, head up to North Bay. Some real tankers in there.

quote carmike:
If you want smallies, head up to North Bay. Some real tankers in there. "

I suppose if its early spring then some of the smaller bodies of water might have the bite going on first but generally speaking I'm with Carmike. Big smallies seem rather commonplace on Basswood.

If the bite wasn't going on there I would head to Noon lake which isn't so very far from North Bay. You never hear much about it but it certainly is one of the prettiest smaller lakes I have seen and has a good population of smallies. Campsite options aren't 5 star but the little lake is gorgeous.

West lake is a good early season walleye option. Shallower water which warms early > jigging at the mouth of the creek which leads to Jeff lake results in plenty of fish. My success was with a gold bladed Chatterbait jigged in the small shallow mud bottomed bay. Snap it up and let it drift back down in between the weeds, Smack!

And speaking of Jeff it is flat out loaded with smallies. As well as a little bushwhack to another smaller lake off Jeff near the portage to East lake which has an excellent population of largemouth. Hit it right and the black bass might be spawning. Could be fun.

Confused yet (LOL) about what to do?