We have a permit for EP 19 in mid-August. Looking to make a night or two trip up to LLC and try our luck with some late summer lakers. We are looking to hit the deep hole just below never fail bay.

How busy is it typically on that side? When we traveled part of LLC a few years ago, almost all the sites along the northern section of our route were occupied. Would love a site with good shore fishing. Anyone have recommendations for us? We are hammock campers, so tent pads aren't a factor.

Tiger Bay (just south of Never Fail and Warrior Hill) is one of the most popular destinations in the region. All of the island sites are good, especially with your hammock footprint. But I would plan to arrive there before 2pm at that time of year.

And as I'm sure you know but others might not.
Pulling up lakers late in the season like that from deep water ensures their mortality.
Tom

tumblehome: "And as I'm sure you know but others might not.
Pulling up lakers late in the season like that from deep water ensures their mortality.
Tom"

Question on this statement.

I've caught relatively few lakers over the years (never targeted them specifically) but several have been caught in quite shallow water later in the year. August and September to be specific. Would they be less likely to suffer harm if released at that point? I'm unclear if the damage comes from the depth or temperature change. Seems if they're already shallow of their own accord then they'd be fine... ?

Lakers have been know to swim to shallow waters to feed. I myself caught a laker in the middle of Pickeral Lake in Quetico, in July, with a floating Rapala as we paddled along our way.

I was quite certain I hooked a sunken log or branch. It was just a very heavy bit of something on the end of my lure, didn’t feel like a fish. Turned out to be a five pound laker.

With that, I’m not versed enough to know mortality of shallow lakers. But I would surmise that since we know lakers are deep in cold water in the summer that they would be more delicate in the summer. I don’t think they are as robust as say, a SM that can survive far worse conditions.

Lakers to me are sacred anyway so I treat them with the upmost respect and care all the time but I’m funny that way with all fish. I am not a fan of sport fishing for lakers.
Tom

tumblehome: "as robust as say, a SM that can survive far worse conditions."

Medium rare.

Any more & that bass probably won’t survive.

Barca: "

tumblehome: "And as I'm sure you know but others might not.
Pulling up lakers late in the season like that from deep water ensures their mortality.
Tom"

Question on this statement.


I've caught relatively few lakers over the years (never targeted them specifically) but several have been caught in quite shallow water later in the year. August and September to be specific. Would they be less likely to suffer harm if released at that point? I'm unclear if the damage comes from the depth or temperature change. Seems if they're already shallow of their own accord then they'd be fine... ?"

The damage is more from temperature change, but hooking them deep causes both temperature AND depth pressure changes.

I fish in late July and August a lot. I never fish deeper than 30 feet…I often catch trout by accident in very shallow waters that time of year. You can fish over deeper water, but not deep. Heck I’ve caught Lakers on top waters on an 80 degree day in early August so although some trout go deep, many don’t they go where the food is. If a trout is feeding on the surface how can it be hard on them to catch them?

The water is very cold on a big lake like Lac La Croix. So maybe surface temps are 75…10 feet down it might be 60…which is acceptable for a trout.

Anyway…long winded way to say if you don’t dredge them up from the depths…your hooking mortality is likely low in the scenario you present.

Unless you drag them to shore (warmer water) and play them out to exhaustion. I still wouldn’t catch 20 of them. I tend to eat what I catch…but I also catch a lot of LARGE incidentals I just can’t eat.

On Sarah Lake in Quetico, my wife and I were fishing walleyes on 15-20’ reefs and all we caught were Lakers and smallmouth…lots of lakers. Once again this was Late July/early August. Just another example of shallow water trout. I suspect we could have caught more trout if we went really deep, but I also suspect we would have killed those fish. I did that on Argo one time and the first and only one was obviously going to die so it was dinner and we were done.

Laker caught fishing in less than 30’ near shore while walleye fishing in early August. Was surprised thought I had a 30 incher (I did but not a walleye) :)




Laker caught in early August on McIntrye fishing less than 20’ down.

No need to worry about catching them from deep water. Lake Trout don’t suffer from pressure changes like a walleye or crappies do. They are able to “burp” out air from their swim bladders, allowing them to quickly adjust to depth changes. Warm water is the issue. But if you handle them correctly, and they aren’t hooked bad, they’ll be just as likely to survive from 100 ft as they would from 5 ft.

Thanks for the feedback! Fully intend to eat what we catch. We will mostly be targeting walleyes this trip, but catching a laker is on my buddies bucket list so trying to make that happen if possible.