Some of us who are multi trip veterans have had the opportunity to fish locations that have rarely had a lure cast. Not always a fish frenzy, but always a special thrill to know this can happen.
The entire Quetico Park has seen no fishing this year and will have none at least until the end of May, and possibly later.
I wonder if this means the fishing will be once-in-a-lifetime special when the Park reopens?

I’m not sure it will make too much of a difference most places in the Q. I’m guessing the fish see extremely low fishing pressure October-April on a yearly basis, so hopefully the park shutdown is only tacking on 1-2 months of extra time to this period. Personally, I hope the park isn’t shut down long enough to radically improve fishing in the Quetico, as my uninformed guess is that would take several years and not just several months of closure.

Either way, I still want to be up there fishing when the park opens! If the park isn’t open in early June though, I’ll probably have to wait until next year anyway. So likely no Quetico trip for me in 2020. First year in a while to miss a Quetico trip.

We had a Q fish survey report along last year and read it at camp. Bottom line on the size and quantity of fish is that "it is a natural population", meaning basically unfished. The effect of this year will not be a game-changer.

Fishing pressure? In Quetico? There are ump-teen centrillion fish in Q that die of old age having never seen a lure. A couple months without anyone fishing in Q will make no difference. The only thing that could change is possibly your presentation and depth for July fishing when, in the past, you've gone in May or June.

bobbernumber3: "We had a Q fish survey report along last year and read it at camp. Bottom line on the size and quantity of fish is that "it is a natural population", meaning basically unfished. The effect of this year will not be a game-changer."

Interesting. Do you have a link to that study? Sounds like a reasonable outcome though based on the relatively few fish that are kept for dinner up there. Was there any difference for Lake Trout specifically since they have a higher mortality rate upon release?

cburton103: "

bobbernumber3: "We had a Q fish survey report along last year and read it at camp. Bottom line on the size and quantity of fish is that "it is a natural population", meaning basically unfished. The effect of this year will not be a game-changer."

Interesting. Do you have a link to that study? Sounds like a reasonable outcome though based on the relatively few fish that are kept for dinner up there. Was there any difference for Lake Trout specifically since they have a higher mortality rate upon release?"

Darn. I was hoping you wouldn't ask. I'll have to dig around for a link. A group member had the brochure... maybe came from the Ranger Station(?). I'll ask around. It seems that it was an MNR survey of about 10 of the bigger Q lakes.

Here is a little info:

Backcountry Fishing in Quetico

Here are almost the exact words printed for each surveyed lake in Q:

fish populations in the park have structures comparable to what you would expect for a completely natural population.

Quetico has been protected for over 100 years, and motorboats are prohibited. As a result, the lakes and rivers in the park receive very little angling pressure. Aquatic research and monitoring in the park has shown that fish populations in the park have structures comparable to what you would expect for a completely natural population.
This means that, in general, Quetico has healthy populations of fish of all ages and sizes. So healthy, in fact, that there is a lake in Quetico that is known to have the highest biomass of lake trout of any lake in Ontario.
That’s a lot of fish.

Here it is... this was the brochure:

Summary of Fish Populations Status in Quetico Provincial Park ...

Here are the words:

populations are dominated by older, larger fish suggesting very low harvest stress with mortality estimates being similar to natural (unfished) estimates.

Thanks a ton for digging that up, Bobber! Very interesting read!

cburton103: "Thanks a ton for digging that up, Bobber! Very interesting read!"

Yes, thanks, I love that kind of stuff.

Eyedocron: "I wonder if this means the fishing will be once-in-a-lifetime special when the Park reopens?"

Arrange the following words into a well-known phrase or saying:

"yeah"

"hell"

;)

My girlfriend and I spent 23 days in Quetico in late July 2020. The place was deserted, and the fishing was a lot better than my previous trips which were all in the early 90s. We didn't see anyone - except two ranger-type guys doing dark-sky measurements - for the middle 19 days or so. We caught fish everywhere, including places where fish really shouldn't be in the summertime. Simply because they had yet to see a lure all year.

We can't wait to get back this summer! We normally go climbing in Yosemite in the springtime, but the Canadian feds have now introduced a mandatory hotel stay for travellers returning to Canada after vacation. In order to discourage people from leaving the country for non-essential reasons - like fun - they make the hotel stay cost you $2000 Cdn while you await the results of your covid test that they give you at the airport upon return.

So it's kind of a punishment tax.

If that remains in place in May-June, we'll be returning to Quetico instead of climbing in Yosemite. [After ice-out lake trout and speckled trout fishing in Algonquin Park, of course!] I am thinking we might even double our time in Quetico. I can't begin to imagine how awesome the fishing will be, being virtually empty of fishermen for a second full year. The rangers told us that 91% of the visitors to Quetico in 2019 were Merricans.

Cheers, eh?
Pete

The fish will be jumpin' in the boat.

I’m very jealous of the extended time, extra solitude and outstanding fishing you had, Pete! Did you happen to write up a trip report anywhere? Sounds like it would be a fun read!

I have to agree that the fishing pressure in the Q is essentially negligible on the fish population.

Just like the number of mosquitos we collectively swat while in camp is essentially negligible on the population. However, this is how we hope it it:

Just so you don’t get the wrong impression, the park was busier in late August than I have ever seen it in my 45 years. Earlier in the year it was practically empty but late in the year Canadians flocked to the Park because parks closer to major cities were overcrowded and no one was working so they looked for other outdoor activities. Having said that the fishing was above average.

jdddl8: "Just so you don’t get the wrong impression, the park was busier in late August than I have ever seen it in my 45 years. Earlier in the year it was practically empty but late in the year Canadians flocked to the Park because parks closer to major cities were overcrowded and no one was working so they looked for other outdoor activities. Having said that the fishing was above average. "

John, Jeremy told me Canadians always tend to come in August. I went in July and came out in August. Stanton Bay parking lot was half empty in July and full and flowing up the road in August. Almost every visitor we met in Pickerel Lake was from Thunder Bay.

I responded to Canadian Pete in another post that my impression is that the fishing was as great as I remember it from twenty years ago.

And I agree with Packers Pete that there are way too many fish for this to be an issue. The lakes are and always have been at full employment. Just my observation.

Personally I love the changes that were made in 2007 with no live bait and only barbless hooks. The Canadiens are smart. If I was a canuck I'd be in the southern half of the park this year. I would imagine solitude on just about any lake in that area and the fishing tremendous.

Shoot, just go into North Bay and take your pick of sites and catch the grand slam plus largemouth in ONE DAY! (Folks, I did this in 2015 there I kid you not.

I would image that it's not getting any worse than before :) I'm sure on certain lakes it will be better than before. On other lakes you might not even notice any difference in the fishing. Like Grandpa always said......It's all good!

Our MN Congressman Pete Stauber is asking President Biden and the Canadian PM to talk it out to open the border. I doubt anything will come of it, but you never know.

MN plans to have everyone who wants a shot to get one by summer, but I think Canada isn’t on track for that.

Tom

I this year for Canadians?

tumblehome: "Our MN Congressman Pete Stauber is asking President Biden and the Canadian PM to talk it out to open the border. I doubt anything will come of it, but you never know.

MN plans to have everyone who wants a shot to get one by summer, but I think Canada isn’t on track for that.

Tom "

Canada is lagging in shots, but maybe with a vaccination document they will open up the park for Americans also.

What will the fishing be like when Quetico reopens? It'll be poor like always....all fished out.... :-)

PineKnot: "What will the fishing be like when Quetico reopens? It'll be poor like always....all fished out.... :-)"

That reply always chuckles and makes me think of fishguts. I don't see him around here anymore and haven't heard anything about him. Anyone know how he is doing?

I had the same thought a few weeks ago. Fishguts was kind enough many years ago on info for McIntyre....hope he is well....

PineKnot: "I had the same thought a few weeks ago. Fishguts was kind enough many years ago on info for McIntyre....hope he is well...."

I haven’t tried out his “never fails trout spot” out in front of Cedar Point, but one of these days I’ll swing by and see if it’s true...

cburton103: "

PineKnot: "I had the same thought a few weeks ago. Fishguts was kind enough many years ago on info for McIntyre....hope he is well...."

I haven’t tried out his “never fails trout spot” out in front of Cedar Point, but one of these days I’ll swing by and see if it’s true..."

It is true. My biggest laker to date, thx to him.....32" :-)

no change

^^ good ol' Proverbs

Right now, Quetico is closed to backcountry camping. They did this last spring too. They even closed Crown Land to camping, although we did our customary ice-out laker and brookie fishing trip anyway.

The parks reopened June 1st. Hope that happens this year, too. Would want to be legit in Quetico.