Have a group of first timers (fathers & sons 10-12 years old) base camping on Ogish early June for five days. Some with and some without fishing experience. I know to look for points, sunken islands/reefs, depth changes, etc. but didn’t know if some areas were more productive than others on Ogish.

We are fishing for pike, smallies, and walleye, strictly artificial. Want everyone to have a memorable experience, but especially want these boys to get the “BWCA bug” for fishing. Also wanting to do some exploring/sightseeing during those lulls in fishing. Any help is appreciated!

Hit the islands and find the sunken bars.......the mid lake narrows can be good....go through the small channel into the bay that sticks up between Jenny and Spice, smaller water, some nice drop offs, always did good in there....take the little portage into Spice for big Smallies.
Pretty easy day trip to see Eddy Falls or south through Mueller to Mueller Falls (find where the Kek Trail crosses the portage and follow Kek east a short ways to the footbridge)

Awesome, thank you!

I echo the advice from cowdoc. We hit Ogish in early June a couple times and here is what stands out from my notes:
- Island site #785 is a beauty with my boys catching smallies and northerns from shore.
- The channel just southeast from this island site has moving water coming in from Mueller Lake. We nailed the small mouth here.
- Caught big northern and smallies in Spice.
- Both bays of Ogish that are just off of Spice had really good walleye action. Nonstop most evenings.
- The area between campsite #2329 and the islands southwest were great for smallies. Caught several over 20" through here.

Good luck and have a blast like we did on Ogish.

Don’t forget to try for lake trout in Ogish. As your paddling around troll a deep diving lure such as a tail dancer. Great fighters and better to eat!

Can’t say thank you enough...Appreciate all the help!

Captn Tony: "Don’t forget to try for lake trout in Ogish. As your paddling around troll a deep diving lure such as a tail dancer. Great fighters and better to eat!"

We actually caught one off camp on a slip bobber soaking a leech.....in late June

I've only fished Ogish once, and it was in September. All I can say is the walleyes really put on the feedbag at sunset. Hardly any bites all day (we caught a few small ones) and then sun starts getting low and BOOM, one after another... Jigged with plastics and trolled perch pattern crankbaits. Did better on crankbaits. Maybe target SM and Pike during the day, and target walleyes during the evenings.

here's a satellite pic (west side) , of what cowdoc is talking about, there is one reef on the west side that you could actually run a ground with your canoe,,, and yes in an empty canoe a trip to eddy falls is very easy and 3 very cool portages too.
if someone is experienced and adventurous holt lake was always on my list , basically zero pressure with dandy lake trout. it is a bushwack trail thou.

We too stayed at Site 785. Our trip was last weekend in Sept. Lake trout could be found trolling 10-20 feet deep around the islands. I'll echo visiting the nearby falls.

Just target around the mid lake islands, peppering the shoreline or trolling (early and late) and you should pick up some fish for sure.

Good luck and have a great trip!

papalambeau: "I echo the advice from cowdoc. We hit Ogish in early June a couple times and here is what stands out from my notes:
- Island site #785 is a beauty with my boys catching smallies and northerns from shore.
- The channel just southeast from this island site has moving water coming in from Mueller Lake. We nailed the small mouth here.
- Caught big northern and smallies in Spice.
- Both bays of Ogish that are just off of Spice had really good walleye action. Nonstop most evenings.
- The area between campsite #2329 and the islands southwest were great for smallies. Caught several over 20" through here.

Good luck and have a blast like we did on Ogish."

We had luck with Walleye where that water comes in from Mueller into Ogish. There is a great spot to pull your canoe up to the mouth of that, stand and fish into the deeper water.

I'll only add to the great information above that the trip to Mueller and the falls are well worth it. It's a longish portage if you're heading onward to Agamok but very do-able especially if you stop over at the Kek trail and walk down to the falls.

The fishing advice above is spot-on. It's a good lake with some interesting structure around the islands and a variety of species. If you have the time, you could take a long day trip to Kek lake proper as well.

I've had epic late fall Walleye fishing on Ogishkemuncie, but we always always always fish for Walter at or just after dusk with jig heads & leeches, either on a slip bobber if shore fishing, or over the side of the canoe, lightly jigging. Jig should be just off the bottom. Leeches are pretty durable, and a small leech locker is not that tough to portage/keep alive.

Our typical day fishing is casting for pike and smallmouth- just paddle around the islands & bays, casting in to shore as close as you can & reel back, you'll have a blast. If I was an early riser (I am not) I would try sunrise Walleyes with a jig & leech.

Good luck!
J

scotttimm: "

papalambeau: "I echo the advice from cowdoc. We hit Ogish in early June a couple times and here is what stands out from my notes:
- Island site #785 is a beauty with my boys catching smallies and northerns from shore.
- The channel just southeast from this island site has moving water coming in from Mueller Lake. We nailed the small mouth here.
- Caught big northern and smallies in Spice.
- Both bays of Ogish that are just off of Spice had really good walleye action. Nonstop most evenings.
- The area between campsite #2329 and the islands southwest were great for smallies. Caught several over 20" through here.

Good luck and have a blast like we did on Ogish."

We had luck with Walleye where that water comes in from Mueller into Ogish. There is a great spot to pull your canoe up to the mouth of that, stand and fish into the deeper water."

I will add - it was at first light with deep diving rapalas...not live bait. They hit hard one after another for like 45 mins and then, like Kaiser Soze...like THAT...gone...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDur-av72nA

Our trip was in the 3rd week on June. The above link is a highlight reel of the trip. Was pretty windy so impacted the fishing a bit but we managed to do decent on Ogish. A lot of the above information is good. We did okay all over the lake in different spots. Mostly throwing shad rapalas, jigs, and slip bobbers. Early June you should be able to do no wrong most fish will be shallow and active.

Super pumped, cannot wait to try out all the advice!
Will try and post results after our trip...

Here is my Ogish story: Last July the first 4 fish I caught was the grand slam. I thought that was somewhat amazing haha