An Outdoorsman’s Guide to Northern Minnesota
Northwoods
INSIDE: tips to catch the most
TROUT & walleye this summer
+
Hiking
places places only only the the locals locals know know
in this issue fishing - Hiking
Trout Fishing Tips & Places
2 Walleye Fishing Tips & Places
7
Hiking In Places Only The Locals Know About
4 Top 5 Trout Fishing Lures
3
Top 5 Walleye Fishing Lakes
8
TROUT FISHING tips - tricks - where and when to go
There are 70+ lakes and 100+ creeks, rivers, & streams you can catch trout in just in the Duluth area. Here are some trout streams and lakes in the Duluth area to fish.
NaMe
SpEcIeS
wHeRe tO fIsH
Lester River
Brook, Brown Steelhead, Rainbow
The whole river
Amity Creek
Steelhead Brook
Seven Bridges Rd & Jean Duluth Rd
Keene Creek
Brook
Keene Creek Park, along Skyline & upstream
Kingsbury Creek
Lake Brown
Munger Trail crossing & along trail by zoo
Clearwater Lake
Rainbow
Whole lake
Corona Lake
Rainbow
Whole lake
Almost any stream, river, or creek in the Duluth area can be fished for trout, but few lakes. The only other lake that isn’t listed to the left is Lake Superior. Duluth has many guides that can take you fishing out on the largest freshwater lake. A good tactic for fishing a stream or river is to start with live bait. Make your way upstream casting with nightcrawlers, worms or flies. Now come back down the river casting a spinnerbait into those same pools you had casted in before. Another good idea is too keep an eye out for flies because you can count on trout to be near their food source. When to fish is an age old question debated by all fisherman. Everyone has their tactics, lures, lucky items or sayings, places, and times to go. We, just like any other publication or other person, will give you the things that generally work no matter where you are. The only way to really find out what works is to go out and try things, try out all of the lures listed on the next page. Try using bait, try different times and places. Experience will make you an expert fisherman.
A FEW TIPS From fishingtipsdepot.com
Know the Current
If you understand how a river or stream is shaped by moving water you’ll be able to find trout very easily. Deep pools created by the current can hold a big trout, but smaller trout can also be found in them. The large trout will most likely be in these pools during dawn and dusk. Power Bait Only Works on Stocked Trout
If you’re fishing for trout with power bait you better make sure the trout in that body of water were stocked (farm raised) and not native. Native trout will not bite on power bait, the only reason stocked trout will is because they are fed pellets in the hatchery and will eat anything that resembles or smells like the pellets. The Best Live Bait
Hands down night crawlers are an effective live bait for catching trout, along with minnows and crayfish. A neat trick is to take a look at what lives on the shore of where you’re fishing for trout and see what might be native to their lunch or dinner menu. Mayflies, when native to the area, can be deadly during the fall season. Choose Your Lures Wisely
It’s important to pick the right lures. Using the wrong type could make you miss out on opportunities. Fortunately, there are a few brands on the market that do a tremendous job. Read our article on the top trout lures to learn more. The Silver Spoon
Trout, especially lake trout love to bite on a small silver spoon. There are several different rigs that might work best for you, try them out to see what works best.
2
TOP 5
Spoons
trout fishing
LURES
3
Spinnerbaits
Worden’s Flatfish
Mepps Little Wolf
Crankbaits
Hiking best places to go
The place shown here is one of the most breathtaking views you can find in the Northland. To get here you need to drive to Skyline Parkway and start on the West end of the road in Proctor. Enjoy the beautiful drive and look for a spot to park near these coordinates. 46.753419, -92.173135 From here you’ll need to look for a small trail entering the woods leading up a hill. Take that up until you hit the Superior Hiking Trail and take that to the west. You should find the area pictured with rocks that overhang the cliff that you can climb down to and sit on. Hang out and enjoy the best view of Duluth you can find.
4
WELCOME TO ELY’S PEAK
Ely’s Peak provides one of the greatest views you can find in the Northland. Your journey begins here, an entrance to the woods below the mountain. Here are the coordinates for where to park. 46.680176, -92.259852 After parking, you should see a small trail going across the powerlines and into the woods. Take that trail into the woods until you hit a set of stairs leading up a hill. Take those stairs and you should end up on a four-wheeler trail. Take that trail to the East about half a mile or so. You should end up at the cave pictured below. If you did not find the cave, type the coordinates on the picture into your GPS.
46.678389, -92.253200
5
Picture From blog.flentje.com
From here you make your way to the top. 46.679174, -92.252302 There is a trail on the right that wraps up and over the cave. Although there are many ways to get up there. I’ve taken a completley different way up and down every time I’ve been there. Sometimes you find a trail, sometimes you just make your way up blazing your own way up. You’ll know when you reach the top, you feel like, well, like you climbed a small mountain. The view is priceless. When you come back down make sure to visit the cave again. There’s nothing cooler than a fire in the cave at night with friends, and yes the cave goes all the way through. You can follow it out to the other side of the large rock where the trail comes out.
Picture From www.mountainproject.com
Walleye Fishing tips - tricks - where to go
Walleye fishing and the Duluth area go together like peanut butter and jelly. There are so many lakes to choose from and so many great tacticts to catching your limit. This article wil give you a couple good tactics to up your fishing game and give you some of the best places to go. You’re best bet is to use a jig and a worm, nightcrawler, leech or minnow. If you’re not using live bait, twistertails work well. Being that it’s summertime, use a nightcrawler or leech and drop your jig down to the bottom of the lake. Now slowly bring it up off the ground and slowly let it drop back down. Look for rocky areas and drop offs in elevation or if it’s really hot, go for the weeds; Walleye will get protection from the sun there. You can also put on a small spoon or a spinnerbait and troll near the shore and by weeds. make sure to put some weight on your line so that your lure gets down closer to the bottom. You should find them
7
fairly close to shore. But not all Walleye stay close to shore. Some Walleye, usually bigger ones, go real deep in the lakes. So if you’re not getting them on shore, head out to the middle of the lake. You’re going to find them anywhere in between 15-35 feet deep. Set up a downrigger or use a J13 jointed Rapala. If you find a drop off right off of shore, troll through that area with a floating Rapala or set up a worm harness. On the next page you’ll see 5 lakes in the Northland that you’re sure to catch some Walleye on. Fishing deep shouldn’t be a problem because most of the lakes can get pretty deep. Get up close to shore on the shallower ones.
TOP 5 places to catch walleye
St. Louis River
Rice lake
Island Lake
Don’t HAve a Boat?
Check out these shorefishing locations that you’re sure to slay the walleye at.
Fish Lake
Boulder Lake
Boy Scout Landing, St. Louis River, Duluth Perch Lake area, St. Louis River, Duluth Water Street, Fond du Lac, St. Louis River Munger Landing, St. Louis River Caribou Lake
Island Lake bridge
Duluth ship canal
Island Lake dam
McQuade Small Craft Harbor
Finlander Bay of Island Lake
Hartley Pond in Hartley Park
Fish Lake bridge
Twin Ponds
Fish Lake dam
Chester Creek
Chambers Grove, St. Louis River, Duluth
Lester River
8
Sources “2015 - Anatomy of a Ravaged Geocache.” Flentje.com. Web. 8 June 2015. <http://blog.flentje.com/>. “Angling Opportunities For Kids.” Lake Superior Streams. Web. 8 June 2015. <http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/ communities/duluth/fishinghole.html>. “Best Walleye Lures Walleye Fishing Tips & Techniques.” Best Walleye Lures Walleye Fishing Tips & Techniques. Web. 8 June 2015. <http://www.pashalake.com/ walleye-tips-techniques.htm>. “How to Catch Walleyes.” Walleye411. Web. 8 June 2015. <http://www.walleye411.com/fishing-techniques/>. “Mountain Project | Rock Climbing.” Mountain Project. Web. 8 June 2015. <http://www.mountainproject.com>. “Shore Fishing: You Don’t Need a Boat to Catch Them.” Shore Fishing: You Don’t Need a Boat to Catch Them. Web. 8 June 2015. <http://www.northlandoutdoors. com/event/article/id/120962/publisher_ID/36/>. “Top Five Trout Lures.” Outdoor Life. Web. 8 June 2015. <http://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/fishing/2007/09/topfive-trout-lures>. “Trout Streams.” : Minnesota DNR. Web. 8 June 2015. <http://www.dnr. state.mn.us/fishing/trout_streams/index.
Magazine designed and written by Jesse Cooke