The Gunflint Trail has been cool and windy lately. The wind has brought cooler water to the surface of lakes. The result has been good lake trout fishing in shallow waters. Barb Gecas of Heston's Lodge reports that this is what is happening on Gunflint Lake. Nancy Seaton of Hungry Jack Outfitters says her guests have had good luck in the shallows with rapalas for Lake Trout. Forrest Parsons at Hungry Jack Lodge had a party of guests limit out in Duncan Lake on trout two days in a row. The fish were in the 2-3 lb. range -- that's great eating. Guests returning to Tuscarora Lodge from canoe trips experienced similar fishing in the interior lakes of the BWCAW said owner Andy Arendt.
Several places reported that the walleys are doing well. Sue McCouglin at Bearskin Lodge said this has been true on both East Bearskin and outlying lakes. Mike Sherfy at Rockwood Lodge had guests catching smallmouth bass up to 20" with leeches and slip bobbers off the lodge dock. Mike Prom at Voyaguer Outfitters had a fisherman bring in a 44" northern with a rapala on Saganaga Lake. Luana Brandt at Nor'Wester says walleyes are comin in. She doesn't know what they are catching them on but she is selling a lot of leeches and crawlers. Maybe that's a hint.
Nancy Waver at Trout Lake Lodge said the DNR just stocked Trout Lake with about 7500 yearling rainbow trout. The fish were 8" long. By the 4th of July their flesh will be pink and they will just fit into a frying pan.
Up at Way of the Wilderness Outfitters, Mark Darling reports that the eagle who normally nests at Trails End Campsite #13 did not return this year. This is not the first time it has happened. The eagle did not come before the blowdown in 1999 but came back after the Ham Lake fire. They speculated that the new nest was burned. It will be interesting next summer to see if the bird is back.
As usual the Gunflint Trail is full of animal sightings. One of the most interesting occurred to guests from Rockwood Lodge. Two different parties ran into a bull moose while hiking the South Lake Trail. The moose intimidated both parties who turned around and came home. Over at Gunflint Pines, Shari Baker says that otters have been feasting on minnows in buckets tied to her dock at night. One of the guests even got a picture. Paula Beattie at Moosehorn Bed and Breakfast said her guests saw a doe with a spotted fawn on the North Gunflint Lake Road. Mama quickly sent the fawn off to lie down in the woods for protection. The guests were thrilled to get a good view of one of the Trail's newest residents.
I know that many of you like to keep up with events on the Gunflint Trail. One of the easiest ways to do this is to follow the blogs at www.gunflint-trail.com. Many resorts post their blogs to this site so you get a good feel of what is going on up and down the Trail.