I'll be heading in at EP 14 - Little Indian Sioux River in early June to fish pike and smallies on the fly. I've never been to this area before, nor have I gone this soon after ice out. I am wondering how deep/where to expect the pike to be, and what patterns/presentations have been successful for folks. Spin fishing knowledge is welcome here too. Assuming this is a couple weeks after ice out, will bigger fish likely be layed up in back bays yet or moving toward deeper shelves and drop offs?

Hoping the smallies will be eager for topwater as the males cruise the shallows.

Thanks in advance!

If you join the forum here there is a private forum on fly fishing and you might get more responses there.

In early June it depends on the water temp. In large, deep, clear water lakes the pike will be shallow later. In shallow, stained water they will move deeper earlier.

Certainly there are good pike lakes in BWCA/Quetico but I have not found a pike lake that is outstanding compared to the number of outstanding smallmouth lakes. So if you are going to BWCA/Quetico in early June I would concentrate on smallies. I think May would be better for shallow water pike.

For smallmouth, it is all dependent on water temperature. Depending on the weather and water temps you might look for shallower tannin stained water if it is a late spring, or the deeper clear water lakes if it is an early spring. I often go the first week of June and it is still a little too cold in many lakes. Best to plan a trip where you have options.

The bass should be on the shoreline and grabbing topwater flies in early June. I went in June first last year and they were on the shoreline already. Might not be the same this year but you don’t know if you don’t go.

Be ready to move around and find them. If they are on the shoreline and you have a good bug they will bite. If they don’t bite they are not there so go somewhere else. There are shorelines they like and they will be there and some they don’t and will not be there. Some lakes are also better than others. Bass are much less willing to hang out on the shoreline in clearwater lakes. They feel more secure in shallow water if the water has some color in it. Keep moving and you will find them.

Bass on the fly are way better than pike so don’t worry about pike. I think the big pike want something really big. A lot bigger than flies you throw at bass so only the small and mid size pike will grab your bass fly but that is more trouble than it is worth. Generally if you get a pike you just want to get your fly back with out it being shredded in the pike’s teeth. I have thrown five inch rabbit fur streamers around log piles and caught big pike but that is spotty and not nearly as much fun as bass fishing.

Pike usually just swim up to the boat, look you in the eye and dare you to try to get your fly back. At that point you both know they have you beat. It is like they say “you want a piece of me I’m right here.” Then I say “I don’t really want a piece of you may I please have my fly back, sir”. Then there is a big tussle over possession of the fly and you are happy if you come out unscathed and can get back to bass fishing. That is my take on pike on the fly.