As my husband and I are pondering different routes for the coming season, which of these lakes would you recommend for lake trout? Have you had exceptional luck on any of them? It will be a late August trip, which I know is less than ideal for lakers, though we have certainly caught them at that time of year elsewhere in the BW. Advice appreciated!

While I've only been to Thomas and Wine I haven't had the chance to fish trout in either of them. If I had to choose I would pick Wine for a couple a couple of reasons. The amount of people you'll see after you cross the Lujenda to Zenith portage will be near zero. If you can grab the site on the point just out and to the left of the portage you will be pretty close to the areas that should hold trout that time of year. The deepest hole in the lake is just out to the NE from the site and there. I'm not sure if it occurs in other places or if it's a Wine Lake thing but a member here posted a picture of a laker with a very distinct red color to it a few years ago and it was beautiful.

We did a day trip to Makwa from Malberg and caught lake trout in mid June. We did not catch anything big, but they are there.

quote saltdog: "We did a day trip to Makwa from Malberg and caught lake trout in mid June. We did not catch anything big, but they are there."

We don't need big, just enough to feed ourselves one, good meal. It's a treat that I look forward to up there whenever the opportunity presents itself! Now if we get onto some good numbers, I could see our trip stalling out right there on whatever lake we happen to be catching them on. My husband is not easily budged when he starts catching fish.

I have very limited experience with Lakers in the BW, but we were on Thomas in mid-June two years ago. We trolled deep taildancers and caught some fish. Not high numbers by any means, but the fish we caught went 22"-27".

I was on Wine last Labor Day and didn't have any luck but we only fished it for a couple hours. I've heard good things and in theory it should see less pressure because the route in there is a doozy. I'd choose Makwa myself as the Malberg area is gorgeous and easier to get to as the portages are more spread out and I'm never doing that beast of a portage again :) There's also better fishing for other species up that way as well.

I have done an annual lake trout fishing trip in May for the last 4 years. Last year was my first trip going to Wine Lake and I am going there again this May. I don't know how great the fishing will be in August but it was phenomenal last May. If you were to focus on fishing the deep hole in the SW part of the lake straight out from the portage I think you could do quite well.