# U.P. Trout lakes, what happened?



## Tommy O (Jun 18, 2008)

My son and I just returned from 5 days of trout fishing in the central U.P. with a tour of Michigan Tech thrown in as well. The stream and river fishing was fantastic! The bugs were not too bad, and the brookies were more abundant and agressive than I've seen. We had brought our kayaks as well, and hit several of the out-of-the-way small lakes listed on the DNR site as trout lakes. The first was a type A lake, meaning 5 fish limit and only 3 over 15". Sounded good. Never saw a trout. Perch, tons and tons of them, mostly small, as if they had been recently planted with no big fish to keep em in check. The second lake was in the Big island wilderness area. Walk in only, type D lake, meaning you can only keep one fish with a 15" minimum. Thought this could be great. Again, never saw a trout. Bass, hundreds of them.. a fish on almost every cast. All six to ten inches long. Never saw a single bass bed either, which leads me to believe this lake had just been re-stocked with bass introduced. 
My question is did these lakes just not support trout, were they fished out, or was there some sort of winter kill and the DNR chose to re-stock with something other than trout? It was still beautiful and a fun experience for us, just suprised by this and wondering if any one has any thoughts or info on the situation. Thanks!


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

I saw a segment recently on the Outdoors Michigan TV show, or whatever it is called these days, on public TV, about the DNR stocking program in the U.P. I would imagine you might be able to watch it online. ?

I was entranced, not being familiar with this.

Anyhow, the program explained that the trout fishing in these lakes is actually best in the spring when the trout are in shallower water. As they go deeper through the summer they become harder to catch.

Even though it is not a real hot summer this year, perhaps this is what you experienced. ?


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## Tommy O (Jun 18, 2008)

Thanks, Ill look for that. I wondered the same thing, so I paddled all over these small lakes and would let my spoons and spinners hit bottom in an effort to find em, but not even a bump. As aggressive as the brookies were in the streams I just figured we'd find a couple. Cant beat the scenery though on those little U.P. lakes out in the woods!


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## Teggs (Mar 20, 2013)

Spoons and spinners never seem to fair wel this time of year on inland lakes. If u fish with crayfish or grasshoppers u will do great. Frogs, tadpoles and mice at night will work as well. From
My experience on inland lakes I never seem to be able to nail a lot of trout using spoons spinners or worms during late July and August. I cooked 2 splake yesterday and they where stuffed with terrestrials. Rivers are always a bit different.


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## DFJISH (Mar 30, 2009)

Here's what happened to our favorite brook trout lake. One year we set out a minnow trap to get bait and found a few itty bitty bluegills about 1" long. The next summer we saw and caught numerous bluegiils 3-4" long. The following summer bluegills up to 7" were everywhere and the shore was pitted with their beds. We notified the DNR and they theorized that some fishermen brought in minn0ws for brookie bait and had some bluegills mixed in....thus inoculating the
lake with bluegills. They reclaimed (poisoned off) the whole lake and re-stocked it with brook trout. The DNR fisheries biologist said that this happens TOO OFTEN. We know of another brook trout lake about 10 miles from the aforementioned one that was ruined by being overrun with perch. Maybe this is why you have seen other species in trout lakes.... and no trout. :sad:


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## Falesy (Oct 9, 2008)

You can check the MI DNR stocking query on the lakes you fished. It'll tell you with what and when it was stocked.

Also the best I've ever heard of anyone catching inland trout they've been fishing at night with lanterns. Chum with corn and fish crawlers or minnows under a bobber.


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## Jfish (Sep 22, 2010)

We do decent in the lakes in early June. After that in August it's almost impossible for me to catch them in the lakes. I just give up that time of year. I believe it's possible to catch them in the lakes if it really cools down. Seems like the surface temps are like bath water though. My guess is they're hunkered down by the nearest spring just trying not to overheat.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

All of the lakes and streams in the UP are connected by underground streams and springs. Runoff from a bluegill lake 10 miles away can carry perch, bluegill, bass, pike or whatever else to your favorite trout lake. I have found some big springs in the middle of the woods loaded with brook trout that are not connected to a stream or lake. I think that these fish are migrating from somewhere else. Another factor is eggs could be migrating by getting stuck on waterfowl.


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## Tommy O (Jun 18, 2008)

I checked both lakes in question and found that yes, for the past 3 years they have been stocked with brookies, and no perch or bass. Im guessing you guys nailed it, they were hunkered down on the cold springs. Will give it a try much earlier next year. Thanks for all the input


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

So I find myself camped next to a Type B trout lake. 

Can I get a trout out of it on the fall, fishing from shore?


At sunset:30 I pulled a four pound Walleye out of it on a worm and bobber. Simultaneously my buddy got a 2 lb Walleye on a plastic worm. 

Trying glow bobbers tonight probably.


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

Oh and the outlet is a type 2 trout stream, sounds challenging.


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## Jackster1 (Aug 17, 2001)

B.Jarvinen said:


> Anyhow, the program explained that the trout fishing in these lakes is actually best in the spring when the trout are in shallower water. As they go deeper through the summer they become harder to catch.
> 
> Even though it is not a real hot summer this year, perhaps this is what you experienced. ?


This has puzzled me since I went to New Hampshire about 15 years ago in August. We fished a shallow pond with a black silt bottom and slayed the brookies fishing dry flies. An Elk Hair Caddis was all you needed and you were golden. 
I still wonder why a small lake on the same latitude as Michigan would produce such fine trout fishing at the end of summer.
I've wasted days trying for trout in Michigan at what were supposedly trout lakes in the upper L.P.


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

So my research today shows a 100 foot hole in the center of this lake ... and the DNR put Splake and Rainbow in it. 

And me without a boat. Maybe while we target those Walleye from shore a trout might come up from the deeps, but they'd have to have some cojones around those Walleyes.


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## Silverexpress (Sep 6, 2006)

Try a leech pattern in black, olive or natural. Either a fly, plastic, or the real thing if allowed.
Use a two foot light flouro leader. Jig it up and down in the deep or swim it slowly in the dropoffs towards shore.

There's a lot of variables here. Your line could have been spooking them, or even your entire rig.


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

Well this one was all somewhat of a moot point. I only ended up camping near this lake as my first choice campground was already closed for the season. But I think I will camp there again.

I only had ultra-light gear with me as my only fishing plans were to try some of my favorite trout streams in the area. This lake is adjacent to a type 2 stream that I have wanted to fish for some time now (went elsewhere this year, heard the Type 2 was mostly Browns, but that will be good.next year), but the lake is not connected and is it's own small glacier gouged watershed - no inlet or outlet.

Our first night there I rigged up with a worm and a bobber with glow tape on top, hoping there might be some panfish along shore. It is a rocky lake with a quick drop out to that 120' center and I don't have much experience with such. Nothing was really happening and it was darn hard to see the glow tape. Until just as I reeled in to quit for the night something pulled it all under and bent my rod double and then let go again before I could set a hook.

The next night we started fishing much earlier, just as the sun set. I quickly caught a little Smallmouth and had some other nibbles. Then at one point my bobber disappeared completely and I set the hook. I had a nice fight on my hands with the ultra-light but after a careful bit of handling I landed a four pound Walleye. While I was doing that the guy I work with caught a two pounder.

That was the end of the action despite attempts at night fishing several other nights. That was during the warm high pressure the last several days of September, which was really nice except I figured it shut down all fishing for the most part.

I was reading some fishing notes in a Wisconsin newspaper several days later and it said the same, though without that high pressure warming the water they suggested the Walleyes would be up on the shoreline shelf right then.

My heavier gear is in disarray right now as I have only been fishing ultra-light the last few years. I think I will get the heavier stuff fixed up and dialed in for my next visit to this lake.

With planted Splake and Rainbow in there and a season on trout in lakes lasting longer than in streams (if I recall the Guide correctly, Type B lake), I know exactly what tactic I will try there next fall.fishing spawn from shore, like on the Big Lake(s). I'll start a thread on that soon, the internet is running herky jerky here tonight.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Robert Holmes said:


> All of the lakes and streams in the UP are connected by underground streams and springs. Runoff from a bluegill lake 10 miles away can carry perch, bluegill, bass, pike or whatever else to your favorite trout lake. I have found some big springs in the middle of the woods loaded with brook trout that are not connected to a stream or lake.


So fish just swim from lake to lake, and into and out of streams, by going underground? And eggs get washed along underground from one body of water to another; sometimes for miles? Why wouldn't the same thing allow Trout to migrate from lake to lake, and there be tons of Trout, too? Or maybe there are tons of Trout!


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

Probably where the kings went too!


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## DFJISH (Mar 30, 2009)

Fishndude said:


> So fish just swim from lake to lake, and into and out of streams, by going underground? And eggs get washed along underground from one body of water to another; sometimes for miles? Why wouldn't the same thing allow Trout to migrate from lake to lake, and there be tons of Trout, too? Or maybe there are tons of Trout!


I'd like to see a link that documents the existence of these claimed underground waterways in the UP that allow the movement of fish from and to lakes and streams.


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