I have never been to Quetico and am looking for some advice. I will be going with my two brothers in mid-June. It will be a 4-day trip with the primary focus on fishing.

I would love to know what lake(s) are great for trout and walleyes. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! We are looking at entry point 21 or 31/32.

I think with some googling you can find a dnr site that lists species of each lake. I may be thinking about the BW though. Generally the big lakes will have lakers.

One thing, when telling your entry it’s better to use Lake Names. I’ve been going to Quetico many years and have no clue what those numbers are. Also, 4 days is not enough time to really get into the good lakes. I would at least make a full day paddle from the entry and set up one camp. Take day trips from there into neighboring lakes if you have time then pack up and paddle out. But really, add a day or 3 more. Life is short.

I agree on more time. For me, Saturday to the following Sunday is about perfect, other than it is tough getting back into the swing of things on Monday. I don't have much advice on entry points, but you better hurry. Permits are available 5 months in advance, so that was last week for mid-June.

Our group has gone to Q in mid-June nearly every trip (and we go in with a Beaverhouse / Quetico Lake entry permit). We're usually fishing for walleyes and northerns, but only because where we typically go, there aren't any lakers or smallies.

I can tell you, from experience, that if you find some rocky points, humps or some semblance of structure, you will find walleyes. Jigs with twister tails should be your main bait. The specific sizes will vary with the conditions, but 1/8 and 1/4 ounce barbed jigs with 3" twister tails are pretty common.

And I'll agree with TomT... I've been going to Quetico over 30 years and had to look on the map to see what lake names were associated with EPs 21 and 31/32.

For the record, EP 21 is Batchewaung. EP 31 is Cirrus and EP 32 is Quetico Lake.

Off of your main topic, but related.... what are your plans for getting your permit? At the Atikokan ranger station or Beaverhouse ranger station, depending on your entry point? Are you driving to Atikokan the day before, picking up your permit, then heading in early the next morning?

Here is the Ontario equivalent on MN Lakefinder

ON-FISH online

We were thinking about going to Pickerel Lake in Quetico and spending most/all of our time there. Is that not a good option? Again, this is my first time in Quetico and would love to find some great fishing. I have heard it is better fishing than the MN side, which I have fished before. My brother and I primarily like to fish for walleye. I would love to catch some large walleye to put in the picture book, not to eat. I like to eat fish, but also don't keep any big fish or too many.
Thanks for your help!

What lake(s) would you recommend for walleye fishing in Quetico? I have never been and would love to find some big walleyes. We were planning on spending our time on Pickerel. What are your thoughts on that lake?

Thanks for your help!

Pickerel is a great fishing lake, and is huge…

kj: "What lake(s) would you recommend for walleye fishing in Quetico? I have never been and would love to find some big walleyes. We were planning on spending our time on Pickerel. What are your thoughts on that lake?

Thanks for your help!"

I've only paddled through Pickerel once, late May 2022. We did some trolling and picked up a couple trout - on the slow side though. Pickerel generally has a good reputation for the big four species, as do Cirrus, Quetico and Beaverhouse. You can't really go wrong with any of those.

My main concern is that lakes can be finicky. When I'm really planning on fishing hard, I like access to lakes of different depths, sizes, water clarity, etc. Sometimes one lake can be on fire, and a nearby lake can be quiet. So while you may find excellent fishing, you'd be putting all of your eggs in one basket with staying on one large lake. Although if your trip is only four days, you probably don't want to spend more than one half day of travel on the way in or out, IMO.

Cirrus and Quetico fit your 4-day focus on walleye and trout....unlike Pickerel, these lakes have areas you can get to if the wind is up....

I'll also add that with a shorter trip like this, make sure you're considering travel time to the entry point as well. If you're in the US, a trip through Prairie Portage to North Bay of Basswood is a great option with all four species. If you take a tow to Prairie Portage, you can be on North Bay in around 2.5-3 hours of paddling and portaging.

PineKnot: "Cirrus and Quetico fit your 4-day focus on walleye and trout....unlike Pickerel, these lakes have areas you can get to if the wind is up...."

++ on Quetico Lake.
Beaverhouse produces walleye and pike too. Many campsites and options for your short trip

I have never targeted lake trout and would love any advice you could give. What type of lures/bait should I bring for trout? How deep will they be by June 10th?

Thanks!

Jackfish: "...The specific sizes will vary with the conditions, but 1/8 and 1/4 ounce barbed jigs with 3" twister tails are pretty common.
"

Typo? Or just bad (old) advice?

Regarding lake trout, they will be moving deeper as the water warms up. I recommend 2 ounce keel sinkers with a flutter spoon trailing 3' feet behind. Troll around deeper water near drop-offs.

bobbernumber3: "

Jackfish: "...The specific sizes will vary with the conditions, but 1/8 and 1/4 ounce barbed jigs with 3" twister tails are pretty common.
"

Typo? Or just bad (old) advice?

Regarding lake trout, they will be moving deeper as the water warms up. I recommend 2 ounce keel sinkers with a flutter spoon trailing 3' feet behind. Troll around deeper water near drop-offs."

Typo... barbless hooks are required in Quetico and have been for maybe 20(?) years. We flatten the barbs on our hooks with a pliers, but they actually start out as barbed. Thanks for catching that, Bobber. :)

kj: "I have never targeted lake trout and would love any advice you could give. What type of lures/bait should I bring for trout? How deep will they be by June 10th?
Thanks!"

We’ve done the vast majority of our lake trout fishing the first two weeks of June over the last decade.

I would bring a few crankbaits that dive between 10 and 30 feet deep. We’ve had good luck over the years with rapala tail dancers in the 20 and 30 ft versions in both firetiger and purpledescent. I’ve also had good luck on larger (size 8-9) blue and chrome shad raps.

Troll those cranks at a slow pace (1-2mph roughly, the speed of one person paddling lightly in calm conditions) over deeper water.

If I wanted to catch big walleye and only had 4 days, I would basecamp on Basswood or Sag.

Pickerel is a great lake. I don’t have a ton of experience, but what I did was good.

That time of year, I’d try to get to the narrows and fish that. You can get out of the wind, current attracts fish, warmer water.

If you want an easy trip, get a ride to and from Stanton Bay. Smallies and northerns all of that bay, walleyes in the mouth, but I’d try for the narrows myself.

The alternative options are great too.

You could also go in at French and camp on the beaches, fish the river area.

T

kj: "We were thinking about going to Pickerel Lake in Quetico and spending most/all of our time there. Is that not a good option? Again, this is my first time in Quetico and would love to find some great fishing. I have heard it is better fishing than the MN side, which I have fished before. My brother and I primarily like to fish for walleye. I would love to catch some large walleye to put in the picture book, not to eat. I like to eat fish, but also don't keep any big fish or too many. Thanks for your help! "

Pickerel is a fantastic lake with superb fishing and great campsites! You can spend your entire trip there, and never be bored! There are fish everywhere, all four species, easy to catch, abundant.

For lake trout, the pattern in the summer is easy:

1. Troll a TD11 on a long lead to get down to around 25 feet where the lakers hang out. You don't need to go deeper on Pickerel Lake.

2. If you want to get fancy, get a level-wind reel - add a Berkley line-counter - and make up some three-way swivel rigs with an 8-ounce weight on the dropper. ANY flutter spoon will work - try different colours. 8-ounce sinkers can be amazingly hard to find.

In the springtime when the water is cool, you can catch the lakers up shallow on just about any spoon, or my all-time favourite springtime laker lure - the chartreuse J-11. Go deeper as the water warms.

Walleyes are easy to catch trolling divers, even easier on 3/8-ounce jigs with 4" twister tails. I definitely favour the scented Berkley Power Baits.

Do a day trip downstream from the Pickerel Lake dam and fish the moving water anywhere through the B chain.

Cheers, eh?
Pete