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Rockriver
senior member (60)senior membersenior member
  
01/09/2023 10:36AM  
I've never caught a lake trout...never even seen one. I want to catch one. Lol. Do any of the smaller interior lakes hold lake trout? I know some do, but no idea which ones. I plan to go end of May for a week and would love to check it off my bucket list.

Thanks for any info or for pointing me in the right direction.
 
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thegildedgopher
distinguished member(1659)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/09/2023 01:03PM  
LOTS of lakes contain laker trout and yes some of them are "smaller" and "interior."

Here is a really good place to start your search. It's a map from the Minnesota DNR that shows pins only for lakes with trout in them. Some of them will only have stocked stream trout, but many of them hold lake trout. Zoom in on the map to show the general area where you're considering planning your route, and start clicking pins that show up in that area. When you click a pin, a small window will pop up including some basic info, one of the items is ID. Click those numbers and the DNR page for that specific lake will pop up, and there you can learn exactly what species are present, check out historical lake surveys, find info on stocking efforts and access points, and more.

There is a wealth of info out there, but you'll have to put in a little time.

 
01/09/2023 01:05PM  
If you go to Fat Lake you are almost 100% guaranteed to catch a Laker.
 
TuscaroraBorealis
distinguished member(5665)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
01/09/2023 02:49PM  
Sema, Rabbitt, Paulson, Amoeber....
 
01/10/2023 08:36AM  
egknuti: "If you go to Fat Lake you are almost 100% guaranteed to catch a Laker."


This is what I was thinking...
 
cyclones30
distinguished member(4163)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
01/10/2023 06:10PM  
Fat was my thought too. But only one campsite so you might have to day-trip it from elsewhere.
 
01/10/2023 09:35PM  
I caught my only lake trout by trolling a rapala purpledescent taildancer.

Try purpledescent site:bwca.com

Be advised that the Voyaguer Maps sold on this website contain tables of game fish species for the lakes on the map.
 
01/10/2023 11:33PM  
if you want to increase your odds , try to be within 2 maybe 3 weeks of ice out , it's a no brainer
 
01/11/2023 01:55PM  
 
Kalvan
member (40)member
  
01/11/2023 03:05PM  
My lake trout have been on east side and off Gunflint. South Arm Knife, Kekekabic, Pine, and even Cherokee are the big lakes I've got Trout (both June and August). For smaller lakes, Frost has been my favorite. Also caught a couple on Rabbit.

We usually troll rapalas deep then if we can find some, sit on top and drop little cleos.
 
outsidethebox
distinguished member (175)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/12/2023 07:42AM  
shock: "if you want to increase your odds , try to be within 2 maybe 3 weeks of ice out , it's a no brainer"


This.

Strap up your hiking boots and go to Missionary.
 
Rockriver
senior member (60)senior membersenior member
  
01/13/2023 11:32PM  
Thanks alot everyone! Found some lakes, now getting the permit date. What would be the average ice out date? I know it's impossible to predict, especially this far out, but what would yall suggest as a target date for permit to hunt down a lake trout? This far out, i can go any date, but I know permits go quick for some of these entry points. I've fly fished all over the world for trout, but have no idea why I want a laker so bad? Lol. Thanks again for the help.
 
TuscaroraBorealis
distinguished member(5665)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
01/15/2023 06:42AM  
Rockriver: "Thanks alot everyone! Found some lakes, now getting the permit date. What would be the average ice out date? I know it's impossible to predict, especially this far out, but what would yall suggest as a target date for permit to hunt down a lake trout? "


Last year ice out was late & accompanied with major flooding. Normally end of April - early May ice is gone. So, following Shock's sage advice, try and grab a permit for opening (of fishing) weekend.
 
01/15/2023 07:47AM  
You have a great goal... Catch a BWCA Laker.

A few years back, my goal was to catch a BWCA Laker thru the Ice.

I spent hours searching the board and collecting information. It's a great resource and helped me attain my goal. GOOD LUCK with the hunt! Post a picture of your success.
 
01/16/2023 12:23PM  
Rockriver: "Thanks alot everyone! Found some lakes, now getting the permit date. What would be the average ice out date? I know it's impossible to predict, especially this far out, but what would yall suggest as a target date for permit to hunt down a lake trout? This far out, i can go any date, but I know permits go quick for some of these entry points. I've fly fished all over the world for trout, but have no idea why I want a laker so bad? Lol. Thanks again for the help."


For ice out info click here
 
01/17/2023 10:32AM  
Try JAP...now Paulsen. The lake is choke full of 1-2 lb lakers. Go early or go late. May or end of Sept.
 
Rockriver
senior member (60)senior membersenior member
  
01/19/2023 11:27AM  
Speckled: "Try JAP...now Paulsen. The lake is choke full of 1-2 lb lakers. Go early or go late. May or end of Sept."


Would that be japanese lake in the Gillis lake area?
 
TuscaroraBorealis
distinguished member(5665)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
01/20/2023 07:03AM  
Rockriver: "
Speckled: "Try JAP...now Paulsen. The lake is choke full of 1-2 lb lakers. Go early or go late. May or end of Sept."



Would that be japanese lake in the Gillis lake area?"


Yes.

It had been called J.A.Paulson Lake, hence the Japanese moniker. Now it is just called Paulson Lake.
 
01/20/2023 08:30AM  
To further my advice for JAP - we've always done best in the evening - spoons or inline spinners, red and gold have always outperformed other colors for us. Good Luck! If you go, enjoy the portage from Seagull!
 
PaddleBoi
member (23)member
  
01/26/2023 09:44PM  
I focus on miles more than fish but it we are on a trout lake in the summer we paddle to the deepest part of the lake and i drop the largest purple mepps i found over the winter until i hit bottom. once all the way down (its a long way) just start to paddle, you will soon think you snagged a log but keep reeling slowly, very slowly if you do not need dinner, actually dont target trout in the summer if you do not need dinner but it works every time 50% of the time

this is actually a 100% success rate when actually tried 3/3 the last year and a half
 
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