My group and I are headed into the Q for opener, but have two days in the BWCA before we go to Saganagons. We are getting a tow to American Point on May 15th, the Canadian opener is the 17th. I'm looking for suggestions on where to camp and fish on Sag or a smaller lake close Cache Bay.

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Might not want to camp right at the tip. Lots of people getting on and off there. Last time I was up that way people were stranded due to waves. Big water.
I don't remember any exceptional campsites. Too bad you can't get the tow on the same day you head in but I assume you have logistical issues to contend with.

Tom

Yes, trying to spend a couple extra days doing what we love but the timing just is what it is this year. My checklist is all checked, but what is this Ontario card? Is this a new requirement?

The island with 2 campsites just past American Point is outstanding.
Here's the island The two points have the campsites, both are good. I've stayed at the NE site, it has two landings and a small sandy beach facing the main body of the lake.

The 4th site from Am point(SW) is an awesome site too. It has a big beach and is a huge site with nice rocks to sit on by the water. Fishing is good in the area and has a great view of Cache bay.

Why not just change your Q permit for the same day as the tow? Then you can wake up the morning of opener and already be where you want to fish.

Because I know myself and I don't have the self control to not fish for two days.

Go in on Seagull instead. Get a tow half way across Seagull, and stay on Alpine for 2 days.

The Island on Sag that Mirth mentioned was nice base camp for us a couple years. It doesn't have a name, because in low water, it's not even an island, but just a peninsula. We stayed on the western campsite a couple years to base camp. We named the "Island" Charlie Island after our springer spaniel. He used to spend most of the trip swimming in sag. When we would go on day trips, he would swim out about 400 yds, following us before turning around.

So it will always be Charlie Island to me.

The reef edge off the north west side of the island usually produces walleyes, and sometimes a nice pike will be patroling too.

As you can see from Mirth's picture, there is some protected water on the south side, that you can fish if sag gets rough.

I actually caught a sunnie in one of the bays back there. It's the only time I've ever caught a pan fish in the boundary waters.

Back then you could take a motor any where on the lake, as long as you didn't portage with it. So we would take day trips into Red Rock Bay (and portage canoes into Red Rock Lake. We would day trip to 1st, 2nd, 3rd bay and Zepher. Those bays can be good fishing.

Sag holds lakers. They should be shallow in May if you can find them.

There are two campsites in first bay. The easterly one is pretty nice. The latrine is a long way back, but it's a nice big flat campsite, with lots of pad space, and it's relatively deep right off shore. 20' as I recall. We've had decent luck shore fishing from there. That bay is good fishing. Lots of smallies, and big pike.

Back in the day, people used to travel to sag to catch some really big walleyes early in the year. They would often fish the NE arm of the lake. I think the state record walleye was caught in the Seagull river near where it connects to the Sag corridor.

I wonder if you could connect with Mike Berg's "Seagull Creek Fishing Camp" and get them to send a guide out, and take you around for a couple days, on the eastern half. They put an awful lot of people on 28" walleyes.

It might be tough to know in advance where you're going to be. I guess you could camp somewhere around American point, and tell them you'll meet their guide at Honeymoon Island, at 8 am, or whatever. Have a pre-arranged meeting spot. Lock up your canoes, and go for a guided day or two of fishing.



Seagull Creek Fishing Camp

Ya know, I would ask the guys giving you a tow. They probably have to wait for clients sometimes. I would guess they would fish the area, and know a spot or two.

Thank you analyzer, I appreciate you. Thank you to all that took time and offered different ideas. I am thinking we will camp on Charlie island and hope the the wind does not hamper our fishing. Going to try to find them Lakers on Sag. Never caught one up there.
Cheers,
Mitch

Have one toast to Charlie for me. I miss him. He was a good dog.

I miss that campsite too. My dad liked to camp on Islands. He figured we couldn't get too far lost that way. Stick lifejackets on us, and let us run around and explore all we wanted to. It would be the perfect Island for paint ball. Put one group and flag on one end, and the other group and flag on the other. There is one main path right down the middle, and back in the day at least, there was a game trail on each perimeter. Both latrines are on the center trail. That's about the only thing that's a little sketchy. If you go for a walk down the middle to the other campsite, you could easily come up from behind on someone doing their business.

That little lake behind the island is cute. We've had decent fishing success in there. Nothing huge. I would imagine with the Mid May temps, those back bays would warm up faster than the main lake, and might hold some pike, back there looking for bait fish.

We've bush wacked to lone lake,and party lake. We found a moose shed around each, but that was in the mid to late 70's. I wouldn't try to carry a canoe back there.

I guess if I was going to make a day trip, I would go to Red Rock Lake, and see if you can find the eyes. We've had good walleye success in there. The lake was part of a somewhat recent fire that went through there, so it's in re-growth. It's a very short portage, with just a pull over a beaver damn.

If you want to have some fun, take a day trip to Roy and Grandpa lakes. Grandpa is a pretty neat lake, with a nice campsite, and lots of mid size pike.

If there is a north, or northwest wind, that's double digits, I wouldnt travel down there though. Crossing back from Munker Island or Englishmans to Honeymoon Island can be treacherous. It'a big open expanse, and the wind really gets cooking out of Cache Bay, all the way to Munkers Narrows. You get some really big rollers sometimes. Hopefully you'll get some calm weather.