With online permitting ending this weekend, we're looking at dates for a fall trip. There are very few September permits for EP 62 to get to Little Caribou, but I want to try to avoid turnover. It looks like we could fish Caribou, Little Caribou, or Pine. My understanding is that before or after turnover could be fine, but during turnover is bad so turnover must be a week or some timeframe like that?

Last year we were on Ogish from 9/24-9/27 and we didn't do well at all, same for other groups we saw. I heard from a family friend that they did fine on the lake two weeks before.

Are there preferred dates to play it safe? Earlier in September or maybe first week of October? Won't have to deal with permits then, but staying at a bunkhouse at an outfitter the night before paddling might not be possible which is something we've done before.

My brother and I caught 15 to 19 inch brook trout hand over fist in the third week of September last "Fall". They were stunningly beautiful specimens.

If you don’t know exactly when turnover is going to happen , fish in an area that has at least one lake that doesn’t turn over. Shallow water lakes don’t stratify in summer ,so if you can find one , if the lake your on is in the middle of turnover, that can save a fishing trip !

Basspro69: "If you don’t know exactly when turnover is going to happen , fish in an area that has at least one lake that doesn’t turn over. Shallow water lakes don’t stratify in summer ,so if you can find one , if the lake your on is in the middle of turnover, that can save a fishing trip !"

Any idea if any of those three qualify? Little Caribou is small so maybe?

Maybe another way of asking my question about timing would be is there a safer time to shoot for like October 7th?

Little Caribou isn’t deep (< 20 ft max) so stratification unlikely.

plander: "Little Caribou isn’t deep (< 20 ft max) so stratification unlikely.


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Sorry what are the implications of that for where/when to find the fish then?

Also, we've decided on either 10/7-10 or 10/14-17 for our dates now. Any tips for dates like that? I saw an old post or two that say just try for pike.

KingKapalone: "

plander: "Little Caribou isn’t deep (< 20 ft max) so stratification unlikely.



"

Sorry what are the implications of that for where/when to find the fish then?


Also, we've decided on either 10/7-10 or 10/14-17 for our dates now. Any tips for dates like that? I saw an old post or two that say just try for pike."

Lake trout season ends Sept 30. Some like to use minnows for a walleye in Fall. I might try a jig head tipped with a salted minnow at the base of a falls or in narrows with flowing water. Shad raps (various depths) 10 AM to 4 PM and floating Rapalas morning and evening. Find some underwater structure and fish that.

Book on fishing BWCA and Q