BIG WATER=BIG FISH!
Eagle Lake is nestled right in the heart of Northwestern Ontario’s Sunset Country. Long thought of as a prime fishing destination for American anglers, it has carried a mystique about it for years. Terms like “bucket list” or “trip of a lifetime” are often used to describe it. Modern boating electronics and social media may have taken some of the mystique away however one could argue it has never been a more desirable destination.
THE EAGLE LAKE EXPERIENCE
I have lived in the Vermilion Bay, ON area my entire life. Less than a mile or two away from Eagle Lake in fact, yet as a kid my family rarely, if ever fished Eagle Lake. I never understood that as a kid, more on this later. As a child I spent lots of time around Eagle Lake, swimming at various beaches, I even took my first swimming lesson on Eagle Lake. My buddies and I would sometimes fish off the government dock in my hometown, yet I always wondered why my dad didn’t take us fishing out there.
THE MYSTIQUE
As I got a bit older, in my early teen’s I started to understand the mystique about Eagle Lake. Yes it was, and is a fantastic fishery but, and this is a big but, you better know your way around the lake. In the mid 80’s, long before GPS, Eagle Lake had a reputation as a minefield of rocks, reefs and hazards.
The local guides were legends of the angling world. They knew the lake from top to bottom and fishermen from all over North America were anxious to fish with them. Dad would tell us kids the horror stories of boaters not knowing their way around Eagle and the disastrous results. Now I understand why we didn’t fish there often as kids.
MODERN CONVENIENCE
Thankfully, those days are behind us. Modern electronics have taken a lot of the guesswork out of navigating Eagle Lake. Just a note however, the commercially available GPS lake cards are less than ideal and DO NOT show all the hazards. Use common sense and refer to paper maps as well.
The local lodges mark reefs and hazards quite well, and if staying at a lodge I highly recommend a guide for your first day. Something of note, that I only see on Eagle Lake, some of the reefs are marked with steel stakes driven into the rock. Various coloured jugs or milk crates are placed on top of these stakes, four to six feet above the water. It takes some getting used to markers as such, but worthy of note here.
EAGLE LAKE IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK!
Eagle Lake is big, close to 70,000 acres. Over 400 islands and over 400 miles of shoreline. I think some people forget how big it is. Fishing forums, magazines and social media tend to break the lake down into smaller sections. Depending on the area of the lake you are staying at, you can fish for a week and not leave that section of the lake. Some anglers have fished Eagle for years and never seen more than a small portion of it.
MAKING EAGLE FISHING MANAGABLE
Eagle Lake can be thought of as many smaller sections of water. Guides and locals break it down into distinct areas, or even micro areas. For the sake of this article, I will keep it simple. Starting with the cool, clear trout waters of the West Arm, with famous areas such as Stretch Reef. The north section, encompassing Vermilion Bay and Portage Bay, and lets not forget Canoe Narrows. One of the narrowest sections of lake, Canoe Narrows, is the access to the back channel and seeing boats race through an area only 20’ wide, 3’ deep at speed is amazing.
The center section of the lake is huge on its own, from Detour Point to Nash Bay all the way east to Spring Bay. Viking Reef is as famous as any spot on Eagle Lake. As are Walleye rock #1 and #2, for obvious reasons. Head south from Coleman’s Reef and you enter the south section, Osbourne Bay. Almost a completely different body of water, visibly dirty water and much shallower than the rest of the lake.
Any of these areas can be broken down into smaller, easier to digest sections. In fact most anglers do just that, focus on one area of the lake. Guides on Eagle often make long runs to get to the most active areas of the lake, but for the average angler that is a daunting task.
My advice, learn one area well before you move on.
KNOWN AS A FISHING PARADISE BUT?
Eagle Lake has a reputation as a fishing paradise, however it is home to some fantastic camping areas and beaches. Campsites that have been used for generations by indigenous people have been well maintained by local lodges, and still used today as popular shore lunch areas. Many beaches are found on the west, north and center sections of the lake. They are kept clean and used respectfully by locals and anglers staying on the lake.
Coming to Eagle Lake to fish? Bring the family and spend some time exploring the heritage of Eagle Lake. Remnants of old gold mining sites are found around Eldorado Bay, show the kids some soap stone at the quarry south of Viking Reef.
Spend a day on one of the beautiful beaches. Park your boat at the government dock in Vermilion Bay and explore the quaint little town and tourist shops.
Editors Note: In Part Two Glenn McDonald will break down the fishing on Eagle Lake.