Hey all!
I am heading up to BWCA to try to catch some northern pike and bass on border lakes this weekend. Does anyone have any recommendations for fishing these species this time of year? This is a first for me! Thanks!

Fishing season isn’t open for those species....

BigDadE: "Fishing season isn’t open for those species...."

It is on most lakes that border Canada (aka border lakes).

It would seem that pike are open on the BWCA border lakes all year round (except Basswood), but bass are only continuous on Basswood (where pike are closed until May 15).

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/regs.html?section=definitions&topic=border

jdoutdoors: "It would seem that pike are open on the BWCA border lakes all year round (except Basswood), but bass are only continuous on Basswood (where pike are closed until May 15).


https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/regs.html?section=definitions&topic=border "

I think the website isn't laying that out very clearly. See the PDF version where it more clearly shows bass being open year round. Page 59 here:
https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/fishing/fishing_regs.pdf#20210301&view=fit

Another thread where folks don't answer the OP, they pick it apart.
Sorry, bud, never done it but have always been tempted to try pike fishing with dead bait this time of year up there.

lundojam: "Another thread where folks don't answer the OP, they pick it apart.
Sorry, bud, never done it but have always been tempted to try pike fishing with dead bait this time of year up there. "

On the other hand, I actually learned something new today from their picking and the OP's correcting. But I get your point as well.

schlumpyj: "

jdoutdoors: "It would seem that pike are open on the BWCA border lakes all year round (except Basswood), but bass are only continuous on Basswood (where pike are closed until May 15).



https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/regs.html?section=definitions&topic=border "

I think the website isn't laying that out very clearly. See the PDF version where it more clearly shows bass being open year round. Page 59 here:
https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/fishing/fishing_regs.pdf#20210301&view=fit"

That PDF seems to directly contradict their website, so that's cool. Who's right? :)

And sorry for not actually answering your question, but I don't have an answer. I've never been up there before the third week of May. I would imagine with 40-45F water temps, slowly worked bottom contact baits would be good for bass, along with suspending jerkbaits for bass and pike, and very slowly trolled crankbaits for pike.

schlumpyj: "Hey all!
I am heading up to BWCA to try to catch some northern pike and bass on border lakes this weekend. Does anyone have any recommendations for fishing these species this time of year? This is a first for me! Thanks!"

Yes - Big pike will follow the sucker spawn into the river. Find some eddy water downstrem from a river running into the lake and soak a big dead smelt or dead sucker either on the bottom or under a bobber. Good luck!