Forecast to be 88 when I arrive on the gunflint trail and this coming Saturday, with mid-80s continuing into the week. This is the earliest we’ve ever gone up and will be the warmest temps we’ve ever experienced — go figure!

I’ve heard people are still catching lake trout from shore this past week, but we won’t count on that.

Great news. The top water bite for Smallmouth sounds like it will be in full swing.

Yes, we are going in on Wed (to the next Thurs) heading to Knife and we booked the earliest we ever have hoping to get bass on beds and trout shallow and now who knows. Cant believe the temps. 4 days in a row of 84-91 predicted for right now (depending which weather app/site you look at).

Just crazy, I have no idea what to expect now.

Trout will be going down, but smallmouth bite should be best in decades. But the window will close fairly fast with the eggs hatching in much shorter time than most years, You might see big schools of the black looking smallmouth bass just hatched.

I’m heading to knife Thursday morning thru the tenth. Maybe we’ll run into you.

Good luck up there! A friend of mine was there last week and they saw a moose.

Pinetree: "Trout will be going down, but smallmouth bite should be best in decades. "

I like where you are going with this but why do you think it will be "the best in decades?"

MarshallPrime: "

Pinetree: "Trout will be going down, but smallmouth bite should be best in decades. "

I like where you are going with this but why do you think it will be "the best in decades?""

Your getting this very fast warmup-heatwave and just about all smallmouth will be on the beds. Some females will be done spawning. Bottom line everything will be in at once and water temps will be over 60 degrees F. in most lakes especially bays.
Had a condition like this 20 years ago and in my solo canoe and nothing to get a fish almost every cast. Many over 20 inches.

Some lakes the water might be cool a little ways down so lake trout could still be like 18 feet down or so and rising for insects.

Pinetree: "

MarshallPrime: "

Pinetree: "Trout will be going down, but smallmouth bite should be best in decades. "

I like where you are going with this but why do you think it will be "the best in decades?""

Your getting this very fast warmup-heatwave and just about all smallmouth will be on the beds. Some females will be done spawning. Bottom line everything will be in at once and water temps will be over 60 degrees F. in most lakes especially bays.
Had a condition like this 20 years ago and in my solo canoe and nothing to get a fish almost every cast. Many over 20 inches.


Some lakes the water might be cool a little ways down so lake trout could still be like 18 feet down or so and rising for insects. "

You've been doing this a lot longer than me, I'm listening. While I'm usually more of an accidental smallmouth angler, we might have to dedicate a day to this. Red Rock bay on Sag perhaps. Since I don't fish them much, I don't have much for topwater baits. One frog, one Heddon tiny torpedo, one rebel pop-r, and some floating and jointed rapalas in different sizes. You think we'll get by on those, along with leaches on phelps floaters?

Forecasts are now showing a 20 degree downward swing with highs in the 60s all week?

Even the current temp reported in Grand Marais varies by 12 degrees between Accuweather and Wunderground.

You must be looking at Grand Marais my friend. It is always about 20 degrees colder there on lake superior rather than inland in the BW. Use the Ely weather when searching for your trips weather. It is MUCH closer to the BW weather inland.
I see about 87-90 for 5 days in a row starting Friday with very little rain.

MarshallPrime: "You must be looking at Grand Marais my friend. It is always about 20 degrees colder there on lake superior rather than inland in the BW. Use the Ely weather when searching for your trips weather. It is MUCH closer to the BW weather inland.
I see about 87-90 for 5 days in a row starting Friday with very little rain."

I'm actually using the Wunderground "weather stations" at various lakes. Yesterday, the Clearwater Lake Station was showing temps in high 80s, today the same station is showing high 60s. It's like they overrode the station data with the Grand Marais forecast. Weird.