Hello! I’m looking at doing a winter trip for some lake trout this year in February/March. I do most of my tribe in the BWCA in the winter have well ove 20 winter trips in the books! I’ve got a few lakes I hit for lake trout with great fishing but looking to go somewhere with some bigger fish! Not looking for your secret spot but anything helps! Definitely willing to trade some spots as well!

Thanks for the help!

This one's still swimming in Clearwater. Not a numbers lake by any means, but a chance at a big fish is always there.

A general rule is that bigger water equals bigger fish...

arctic: "A general rule is that bigger water equals bigger fish..."

Especially when there is a ton of cisco in said big water!

I don't know what big is to you but lake trout 15 pounds and up in the BWCA is rare.
I use to have a picture of a individual who fished Clearwater in the 1960's and he had 3 lake trout in one day between 15 pounds and around 20 pounds. Since than fishing pressure on Clearwater the size has really dropped with most under 20 inches now. A few and I mean very few big ones still swim there. Recent Mn DNR nettings for the last 20-30 years and my own fishing shows exactly what I said.
Yes lakes with cisco or whitefish has a chance of some big ones left.

To me big trout our sacred to me and could never keep a big trout,but sure love catching them. My best is a little over 20 pounds.

Very true, Pinetree. There have been lakers of over 30 pounds caught in several BWCA lakes--mostly early in the 20th century, but a few later. Lake trout grow very slowly in many lakes. It takes DECADES to produce a 20 pound fish in most waters.

arctic: "Very true, Pinetree. There have been lakers of over 30 pounds caught in several BWCA lakes--mostly early in the 20th century, but a few later. Lake trout grow very slowly in many lakes. It takes DECADES to produce a 20 pound fish in most waters."

Yes in many lakes a 10 year old will be 20-22 inches and sometimes less. Lot depends on food source. Yes big lake trout are rare.

Pinetree: "I don't know what big is to you but lake trout 15 pounds and up in the BWCA is rare.
I use to have a picture of a individual who fished Clearwater in the 1960's and he had 3 lake trout in one day between 15 pounds and around 20 pounds. Since than fishing pressure on Clearwater the size has really dropped with most under 20 inches now. A few and I mean very few big ones still swim there. Recent Mn DNR nettings for the last 20-30 years and my own fishing shows exactly what I said.
Yes lakes with cisco or whitefish has a chance of some big ones left.


To me big trout our sacred to me and could never keep a big trout,but sure love catching them. My best is a little over 20 pounds."

Is Clearwater considered a heavily pressured fishery? What does "pressure" mean to you? Is that more of a winter thing? I suppose it's all relative and you're drawing on more history and experience than I am, by a good stretch. I have no doubt that size has dropped over the last 50 years. When I was there this past early June I saw zero other boats/canoes with lines in the water at any point so the "pressure" comment kind of surprised me, that's all.

I have no interest in measuring or weighing the fish I catch, unless it's to determine whether a walleye fits the eater slot. The online weight calculators vary but it sounds like a 30" laker with average girth runs about 12 pounds. I think most people would consider that a big fish for the BWCA, at least in this day and age. At least I do!

Best chance would be for Lake Superior to freeze over again. That’s what I’m hoping for.

Clearwater has heavy pressure because it is an entry lake, a motor lake, and in that area people can come from all four directions, and there is development on the lake

in addition, lake trout are easily decimated given their slow growth rate

I could tell you a lake that recently had a 26 pound lake trout caught, but then I'd have to kill you. This same lake is an excellent lake for "eaters" which IMO are the small ones, anything over 3 pounds (by eye) is not an eater IMO, I let them go

Heavy pressure on a lake trout fishery is WAY different than on bass or walleyes. Some trout lakes produce less than a half-pound of lake trout biomass per acre per year.

I get that they grow slow, for sure. Ease of access does not always equal pressure in my opinion. It shouldn't matter if there are homes on the lake or motor boats (which are pretty limited by quota) if there aren't too many people catching & keeping trout, which has been my personal experience up there.

I caught more and bigger fish in my very first weekend outing at CW than I had in 3 years fishing outside the BW. I just don't typically equate the BW with pressure. My 2 cents.

And by no means am I suggesting the fishery be exploited. I am with zarasp00k on the eater philosophy. (We kept only 1 fish for a snack last time up, because it wasn't going to survive the release. 15 inches. Tasty as can be!)

Clearwater gets a lot of pressure up to the BWCA line in the winter for sure. There is a plowed road up to that point and there were a lot of houses out there both on our way in and out. That being said the best laker fishing I've ever experienced was on an entry lake. We caught a few big ones along with some eaters. My rule of thumb for keeping lakers is 20 inches or under.

thegildedgopher: "I get that they grow slow, for sure. Ease of access does not equal pressure in my opinion. It shouldn't matter if there are houses on the lake or motor boats (which are pretty limited by quota) if there aren't too many people catching & keeping trout, which has been my personal experience up there.


I caught more and bigger fish in my very first weekend outing at CW than I had in 3 years fishing outside the BW. I just don't typically equate the BW with pressure. My 2 cents.


And by no means am I suggesting the fishery be exploited. I am with zarasp00k on the eater philosophy. (We kept only 1 fish for a snack last time up, because it wasn't going to survive the release. 15 inches. Tasty as can be!)
"

You got lakes like Duncan,Clearwater they get hit hard in the winter,even Daniels at times

Nice fish!

Agree that the smaller trout are better for eating.

Lac LaCroix would be my guess although I've never tried it.

Gadfly: "We kept only 1 fish for a snack last time up, because it wasn't going to survive the release. 15 inches. Tasty as can be! "

Gadfly: " My rule of thumb for keeping lakers is 20 inches or under. "

I described eaters as under 3 lbs, but I don't carry a scale, but I do know from outside my elbow to tip of middle finger is ~18" and inside elbow to tip of middle finger is ~15 1/2"
I'd say 14-16 inch laker is ideal, baked over a fire with butter/lemon pepper or olive oil/ garlic or maybe just pepper

smaller is even tastier

ZaraSp00k: "

Gadfly: "We kept only 1 fish for a snack last time up, because it wasn't going to survive the release. 15 inches. Tasty as can be! "

Gadfly: " My rule of thumb for keeping lakers is 20 inches or under. "

I described eaters as under 3 lbs, but I don't carry a scale, but I do know from outside my elbow to tip of middle finger is ~18" and inside elbow to tip of middle finger is ~15 1/2"
I'd say 14-16 inch laker is ideal, baked over a fire with butter/lemon pepper or olive oil/ garlic or maybe just pepper

smaller is even tastier"

+1. Very true.

i've seen some impressive videos on here and youtube of quality lakers from seagull in the winter , be careful of moving water area's (ON ANY LAKE) it will not freeze solid all winter , and you get stuck in that slush underneath the crust your day maybe over before it starts , JS.

If you are headed in through Ely, I would try Basswood (better chance of a monster on the Canadian side- Bailey Bay or North Bay), Trout (will likely need a snowmobile to access via Vermillion), Snowbank, Kek or Knife. If you're headed in through the gunflint, Saganaga and Seagull hold big fish.

General rule of thumb, the harder the lakes are to access, the better chance for numbers and running into a monster. Best of Luck!

Ericinely has a good list. Lac la croix can be done on a snowmobile with an rabc. If you choose to fish the us side just park the sled near the border. Saganaga you can use a snowmobile up the corridor and in Canada. If you fish the us side park it by the corridor and then walk to your spot from there. For trout lake I have always drove my truck right to the portage.
For the interior lakes like knife, kek basswood etc.. they are a long haul. Even in good conditions it’s a lot of work. Having the proper gear is a must.

If you are looking for big trout your best bet is to have a snowmobile and head to Canada. Tons of lakes with big trout and easy to access.

If you have the ability to get up to LaCriox without a doubt that would be your best option. The ability to use a gas auger vs using a hand auger in January would be a huge difference