We'll be traveling to Insula on May 21st. This is our first time on Insula and we are looking forward to some good, if not great fishing with the predicted late ice out. I have heard that this lake can produce numbers and the occasional lunker walleye.
I have already circled a couple of good looking choke points on my map, notably the northernmost narrows, and a couple around the larger island just south of Williamson. I also see on Google maps that there are some good reefs/sunken islands that trail off of the islands and outcrops.

There appears to be so much structure on Insula, I feel like a kid in a candy store! This is where my question lies. Sometimes a lake can look so good with obvious structure, that some very promising spots can be overlooked. I've often said to myself "if I were a fish, this is where I'd be"...only to come up empty handed.

If the shallows are productive with the colder water temps this spring, what would you target? Islands, flats, back bays? Will the fish cling to the shallow water all day to warm up, or will they be on the move along the drop-offs as well?

Man I love fishing! If you are willing to share any pointers on this lake, I am all ears! The same goes for campsites, we'll be north of the burn, but there are a lot of sites!

With the probable late ice out there is a chance that the walleyes will be recovering from the spawn in deep water. You might find them in 40 feet or more. A depth finder would be helpful if they are deep. The other choice is to slow troll the shoreline in 4 to 8 feet to see if you find them there.

You will more than likely be fine. Insula has some decent current running through it and rather stained lake. Your talking 3.5 weeks. Your ideas are spot on, but Insula has some hidden gems / areas that rarely get fished early in the year that will almost certainly produce. If not- other lakes in the area will almost certainly be producing if Insula is off.

Saberboys: "We'll be traveling to Insula on May 21st. This is our first time on Insula and we are looking forward to some good, if not great fishing with the predicted late ice out. I have heard that this lake can produce numbers and the occasional lunker walleye.
I have already circled a couple of good looking choke points on my map, notably the northernmost narrows, and a couple around the larger island just south of Williamson. I also see on Google maps that there are some good reefs/sunken islands that trail off of the islands and outcrops.

There appears to be so much structure on Insula, I feel like a kid in a candy store! This is where my question lies. Sometimes a lake can look so good with obvious structure, that some very promising spots can be overlooked. I've often said to myself "if I were a fish, this is where I'd be"...only to come up empty handed.

If the shallows are productive with the colder water temps this spring, what would you target? Islands, flats, back bays? Will the fish cling to the shallow water all day to warm up, or will they be on the move along the drop-offs as well?

Man I love fishing! If you are willing to share any pointers on this lake, I am all ears! The same goes for campsites, we'll be north of the burn, but there are a lot of sites!
"

I think with your knowledge of fishing you will be just fine. I have not fished Insula in May so I don't think my fishing intel would be of much help to you. I have been there twice, in August and September. We stayed at campsite 1323 on the North shore one year. I would rate it a 4 star. Very nice overall, sand beach, lots of space, grass, beautiful view, nice and breezy. I like mature trees though and this site lacks those and is a little exposed in bad weather or a lot of wind.

The other site we stayed at is not marked on the maps in this website. It is on the Island directly West of Williamson island. It would be the first island you get to. you won't miss the campsite. It was one of the best sites I have stayed at in the BWCA. We did well on Walleyes on Insula on both trips. All the areas you are stating would be where I would start. The should stay shallow (less than 10 fow) that time of year I would think. I would so a lot of slip bobber fishing from camp along structure and drop offs. Like you said there are lots of points, islands, and structure. You will find the fish.

We caught a lot of Walleyes in the narrows just East of camp 1323 in the evening with jig and a leech and trolling rapalas.

WhiteWolf: "You will more than likely be fine. Insula has some decent current running through it and rather stained lake. Your talking 3.5 weeks. Your ideas are spot on, but Insula has some hidden gems / areas that rarely get fished early in the year that will almost certainly produce. If not- other lakes in the area will almost certainly be producing if Insula is off. "

WhiteWolf...care to share any of these "hidden gems"?!

Saberboys: "

WhiteWolf: "You will more than likely be fine. Insula has some decent current running through it and rather stained lake. Your talking 3.5 weeks. Your ideas are spot on, but Insula has some hidden gems / areas that rarely get fished early in the year that will almost certainly produce. If not- other lakes in the area will almost certainly be producing if Insula is off. "

WhiteWolf...care to share any of these "hidden gems"?!"

Email sent

We're heading to Insula on the 18th, was up there last year same time. Nice fishing with good size quality. Mostly fishing minnows or leeches in 6-8' along the shorelines. Didn't really work very hard and caught more than we could eat. Lots of sand bottom.
One option that we're planning this year is a day trip to Fishdance to check out the pictos and get an opportunity to fish above and below the rapids into Alice.
Lots of great campsites. Last year we had 3 guys and stayed at 1326. It was pretty quiet and we had the north end pretty much to ourselves. Paddling in it seemed like all the campsites we could spot were taken until we hit Insula. Most of Insula was open, so don't worry if it seems crowded heading in.

Here's a video we took on Insula 2 years ago.
We caught plenty of fish and plenty of large fish. Check out the size of this pike.
Insula pike video.

I’ve never been on Insula in late May, but I’ve been there twice in early June and once in early July. I was there last June 8-10 or so. It had been quite warm for the week previous to when I was on Insula. Our best morning we caught 15 or so walleye trolling through a windswept saddle between two islands and picked some up on slip bobbers as well. 6-10’ of water or so, late morning by the time we found them.

Regarding campsites, there are a handful of good to great ones in the northern bay of Insula south of the narrows. I’ve stayed on the island west of Williamson Island three times. Not a huge camp, but great for 2-5 people or so. This camp hasn’t been as popular as several of the other ones in that area on my trips, so it’s been open every time I’ve paddled through.

This is all good info, thank you everyone!

Has anyone ventured into Hope, Cache, or bushwhacked into Museum?

Saberboys: "Has anyone ventured into Hope, Cache, or bushwhacked into Museum?"

Yes.

But part of the fun, IMHO, is exploring those types of "unknown" areas and seeing what you find when you get there :-) YMMV...

Saberboys: "This is all good info, thank you everyone!


Has anyone ventured into Hope, Cache, or bushwhacked into Museum?"

Cache is a pretty easy couple of liftovers over some rocks. Very windy when I was there last year, didn’t have any luck fishing. I’m sure there are fish in there though, as it was connected to Insula when I was there.

WhiteWolf: "

Saberboys: "

WhiteWolf: "You will more than likely be fine. Insula has some decent current running through it and rather stained lake. Your talking 3.5 weeks. Your ideas are spot on, but Insula has some hidden gems / areas that rarely get fished early in the year that will almost certainly produce. If not- other lakes in the area will almost certainly be producing if Insula is off. "

WhiteWolf...care to share any of these "hidden gems"?!"

Email sent"

Don't suppose I could get a couple. Taking my kid there end of June. We plan on base camping Insula.

Also wondering if it would be worth a day trip to Alice to fish the rapids.