EAGLE LAKE ADVENTURE

My recent muskie fishing trip to Eagle Lake, Ontario has now become one of the highlights of my life.  As a result, I thought that I would write it up and share it with other people to let them know what it was like and possibly to encourage some to give this trip a try.

Luck seems to be a bold line running through the middle of my life.  I recently retired from teaching after 37 years.  I never worked for a poor principal and I had the

opportunity to work with the best kids the State of Wisconsin has to offer.  After I quit coaching after the 1996 season, I have been able to fish often, long and hard.  My luck did not run out with my wife.  She patiently tolerates my obsession with the sport of fishing and my need to participate in outdoor activities.  I consider myself lucky to be able to go up to Eagle Lake Lodge and fish Eagle Lake.

Six of us planned this trip out well in advance (like a military operation) and the organization of this adventure went a long way to make it a success.  The personalities and patience that each of us exhibited led to a lot of laughter and a bonding process took place during the week.

One of the six, Lee Bartolini, picked me up on August 13^th at about 9:30am.  Lee is from Mt. Horeb and the secretary of Capital City Muskies.  The combination of his Jeep and Alumacraft boat  performed very well over the week.  We got a late start so we decided to spend the first night in Virginia, MN.  If you need a simple, inexpensive motel in the Virginia area, book a room at the Pine View Inn.

We left the next morning for International Falls/Fort Frances and were soon in line for crossing into Canada.  The gal working the booth was quick, efficient and let her sense of humor slip out.  Just handing them your passport really speeds up the process.  Take off your hat and sunglasses and answer the questions directly and quickly.

Once in Fort Frances we took Hwy 11 east for about 20 miles (kilometer is the official measurement in Canada) and then headed north on the famous 502 (no shoulder and often sheer rock walls) on which you don’t want to break down or get a flat tire.  We traveled until about 25 miles south of Dryden and traffic in both directions came to a dead stop.  An accident forced a timber truck across both lanes and it took 2 hours to get moving again.  In that time we got to know a few of the other people who were stranded with us and one lady was playing a mandolin sitting on the side of the road.  The occupants of the SUV in the accident were air lifted out to Thunder Bay.

After we got rolling again we turned west before we got to Dryden and traveled through the small Indian village of Eagle River.  Another 4 miles and we turned into the driveway for the Eagle Lake Lodge.  I had never been there before and I didn’t know what to expect.  Our cabin was right next to the Lodge and it worked our very well.  I have no connection to Eagle Lake Lodge so I have no problem stating that owners Scott and Marie run a top-notch facility.  It is not fancy, but you really have all the comforts of home.  I would recommend that anyone who wants to fish Eagle Lake should consider staying at the Eagle Lake Lodge.  They let us use their outdoor grill to cook some food, they provide all the towels you need along with the bedding.  You can fill up your cooler with ice from their ice machine whenever it is convenient for you.  They even serve a free fish fry one night during your stay.  The food was great.

The first night we stayed there, we broke out our map of Eagle Lake and we marked it up with the advice of Scott’s son Tyler.  Tyler gave us a lot of detail and made sure that he indicated all the danger spots (Eagle Lake has rock reefs out in the middle of no where that can eat up your lower unit).  This helped us make decisions on where and how we will fish.  Tyler, along with Anthony make sure you are taken care of at the front dock.  All week, if we needed anything, all we had to do was ask.

I sounds like this place may be a little expensive.  We had six fishermen in the cabin, which was not fancy, but very comfortable and I was very surprised at how inexpensive it was.  You get a wide choice of the many services the lodge offers.  If you go there, I am confident that you will be happy.

The weather was terrible the first two days, but all six of us (three boats) fished long and hard every day.  Fish were hard to come by and it was cold enough to turn in heat on at night.  It is August in Wisconsin, but it is the start of fall in Ontario.  We did not catch a great number of muskies (nine fish for 6 guys).  We caught a fair number of northern pike and I established a new personal best of 39.5”.  We averaged 11/12 hours of hard fishing and everyone was tired by the end of the day.  No party time for this group.  The “hot” bait in our boat was a 7.5” silver and black Grandma twitched hard back to the boat.

It was really a lot of fun going with a group of fishermen who all had the same goals and were all what I call “diehards” (Geoff Crandall, Denny Lytle, Shane Nesheim and Gene Edwards are all members of Capital City Muskies).  All of us wanted to put in long days throwing big baits hoping that a large fish would take a swipe at it.  We were all willing to put up with sore fingers, wrists and backs (we are all over sixty years old except for one 38 year old).  Early in the week the weeds were the key to finding fish.  As the weather improved and the water started warming, the rocks were the key to success.  The lodge is close to the Eagle River which (outflow from the lake)  produced a fair number of fish.

In addition to the fishing was the scenery in the area.  Just spending a week in this environment was very refreshing.  I am including a few pictures along with this article to illustrate what a magnificent body of water we were able to fish.  Most of the shoreline is totally devoid of any buildings.  The eagles, many other bird species and even a swimming squirrel sometimes distracted me from the job at hand.

Eagle Lake also has many walleyes and smallmouth bass to fish for.  If you want to fish in a place where God has done some of his best work, head north next summer to this fisherman’s playground.  If you need a place to stay, give Eagle Lake Lodge a try and you will have a great experience.

Duffy Kopf

Pure Fishing Ambassador

Jiffy Ice Drill Pro Staff

JB Lures Pro Staff

Yahara Fishing Club

ljkopf@tds.net