# Musky Fishing near TC



## BrokenWing (Jun 6, 2006)

Well it looks like a go for this weekend (friday-Monday). I am looking at heading up there and continueing my pursuit of the muskys. Any ideas?

Thanks
Rich

PMs alway welcomed also


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## timplant (Dec 1, 2008)

Torch lake, Elk lake, or skeegemog, all produce muskies, about 35 minutes from TC

try em tho, good fishing.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

I haven't heard about a muskie taken out of Skegemog in years, and I've only heard of one, ever, coming out of Torch. Have never heard of any out of Elk. 

But try Intermediate, or further north in the chain, or up at Black Lake.


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## The Fishing Pollock (May 9, 2006)

We got a coupla outa of Bellaire this year recently , 1 very nice fish outa Skeg too. Very early in the mornings tosin spinnerbaits , big and flashy ones , through the weedbeds around the river mouth on bellaire and just off the 20 foot drops ok Skeg. We wern't targeting them but got lucky. 

matthew


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## Duke (Oct 6, 2000)

The best advice anyone can give for fishing those lakes is to have patience, and be stubborn! Of course you know that the densities are low in all lakes mentioned, and getting lower every time someone "takes one out", which happens more often than most people hear about or realize. But the thing about muskies is that even on low density water, you can locate them by fishing the very best pieces of structure at the very best times- which is almost all weather dependent. What are the best structures- like mentioned already, river mouths, neckdowns, Narrows, weedbeds adjacent to deep water, points, currrent areas, etc. There is not an overabundance of this type of structure on these bodies of water, so also throw in the wild card - open water schools of baitfish, because the fish suspend much of their adult lives in these lakes. And the best weather- low light, caused by clouds, rain, wind, dusk and dawn. Good luck and have a great trip


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## timplant (Dec 1, 2008)

Linda G. said:


> I haven't heard about a muskie taken out of Skegemog in years, and I've only heard of one, ever, coming out of Torch. Have never heard of any out of Elk.
> 
> But try Intermediate, or further north in the chain, or up at Black Lake.



the musky population of all 3 of these lakes is extremely high, check out the michigan dnr website for info if interested, they've got a ton of stuff about catch's and stocking information

last time i was out at skeegemog a guy at the launch had a 51" and a 43"


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## Redjay (Apr 9, 2008)

Haven't been up there in probably six or seven years but kind of spent the majority of my recreation time up there from late 80's to about 2000. (grandparents had a place there).

He had pictures of five and six fish days up there from the 60's and 70's and even when I started we'd catch a musky every third trip or so (trolling) - always enough big pike to keep you occupied and more six pound plus largemouth than I can even remember (overgrown bluegill he used to call them and they immediately went back) Wish I could say the same about the musky and pike

Didn't really know any better back then but by the time I was in my late teens I was starting to get it - his biggest beef at that time was all the spearers taking the fish out of the lake in the winter, especially tough if there was late ice because they'd start spawning before ice out (I never speared but I used to like to walk out there and see what was going on).

Bottom line - it was mostly old timers fishing the lake back then and it was like pounding a penny nail through a brick wall for any of them to realize they got to at least let half of the big ones go

I'm sure there's still a nice population of fish in there and maybe the newer spearing regulations have helped (at least I think they're a little tighter) but I can probably guarantee it don't fish nearly as good as it did twenty or thirty years ago.

As far as fishing it I can't help you much casting (unless it's for smallmouth) but like everyone said concentrate on the channel edges, the deeper timber leading up into the Torch River (bring an extra prop:lol and weed edges close to deep water.

Good Luck!


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## BrokenWing (Jun 6, 2006)

Thanks guys I will report when we return...


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## Smada962 (Feb 18, 2009)

timplant said:


> last time i was out at skeegemog a guy at the launch had a 51" and a 43"



Thats exactly the problem, people keeping them not realizing just how valuable they are to the lake.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

Linda G. said:


> I haven't heard about a muskie taken out of Skegemog in years, and I've only heard of one, ever, coming out of Torch. Have never heard of any out of Elk.
> 
> But try Intermediate, or further north in the chain, or up at Black Lake.


A girl at work has a cell phone pic of a 35lb muskie caught this year on Elk Lake. It is the biggest I have ever seen. I will see if I can get the pics some how.


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## gaustin (Jan 14, 2009)

I been wanting to head up there myself and fish those waters. Glad to hear that folks are getting into them. I do practice CPR and just can't get enough of the rush when you lock-up with one of those *Emerald* Beauties :coolgleam............


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

The was a cell phone pic so it isn't the best but this is the huge muskie caught in Elk Lake.


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## gaustin (Jan 14, 2009)

Nice :coolgleam:coolgleam..........


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

I'd like to run that in the paper, if the fisherman is interested in giving us his name and the date of the catch. Did he keep the fish? If he's interested, ask him if he's got any larger resolution photos and ask him to email them to [email protected]

That is the first muskie I have ever heard of out of Elk-I've heard of them out of Skegemog, but not Elk. But there's always one or two out of Torch every year, too, so I'm sure it's possible. Haven't heard of any out of Torch this year, just a couple out of the upper chain and one out of Lake Bellaire. 

Ran a photo this week of a 35 pound lake trout caught earlier this month in Lake Bellaire.


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## BrokenWing (Jun 6, 2006)

I have it from a good source that there are musky in Elk and they are bigger but are caught trolling and less casting.

MMA site has been a great help.


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## Duke (Oct 6, 2000)

Linda G. said:


> That is the first muskie I have ever heard of out of Elk-I've heard of them out of Skegemog, but not Elk. But there's always one or two out of Torch every year, too, so I'm sure it's possible.


Linda, with all due respect and I mean no offense, but you do realize that Elk and Skegemog are in fact one lake? Muskies are known to make incredible journeys of great distance and traversing connecting waterways that defy conventional thinking. If there is one trait that defines the musky, wanderlust could very well be it. Trust me, The Narrows do not pose a barrier to fish movement for any species, muskies not the least of which. As a matter of fact, there are muskies making the trip back and forth on a daily basis at certain times of the year!! Just thought I would share what I think is intersting info about a fascinating fish.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

Linda, I do not know the guy personally. I work with his sister. I think he did keep the fish to get mounted. I will try to find out more details.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

Of course I know that. I've been on those lakes all my life. 

But they are totally different bodies of water-one is oligotrophic, cold, clear, and deep, with native populations of lake trout, whitefish, and in recent years, planted steelhead-in the shallows there's really good numbers of smallmouth bass...not conducive to muskies at all, the other is shallow, with lots of deadheads, weeds, and forage fish and largemouth bass-very conducive to muskies. And although I'm sure, as I said earlier, that muskies can and do go from lake to lake, they don't hang out in oligotrophic lakes. It's not good habitat for them. 

I WAS wondering if someone meant Skeg, when they said "Elk"...wouldn't be the first time I've heard people confuse the two lakes. 

A musky out of Skeg would not be big news. A musky out of Elk, proper, would be. 

It's possible that, like all the lakes, the continually shifting silt that's pouring into the oligotrophic lakes like Torch, Bellaire, and Elk is changing the lakes to the point that the water is warming up and there's a lot more structure, as in shelves, and weeds than there used to be-but I hope that's not the case. 

I know I'm seeing changes in Intermediate that aren't positive for this lake...we NEVER had good numbers of bluegill until about 10 years ago-now they're everywhere. Warmer water comes with less depth and current...and that comes from silt. Bad news.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

> I know I'm seeing changes in Intermediate that aren't positive for this lake...we NEVER had good numbers of bluegill until about 10 years ago-now they're everywhere. Warmer water comes with less depth and current...and that comes from silt. Bad news.


 Intermediate River, both above and below the Bellaire dam are in serious trouble IMHO.
Back before the powerhouse removal in Bellaire, (sometime around 1980, the exact year escapes me at the moment.) due to the cycling of the powerhouse, the river below the powerhouse had nice deep holes, a firm mid channel bottom, and diverse habitat for a multitude of species. We would catch brookies in the powerhouse, tailwaters, oftentimes while fishing from the M-88 bridge.:lol: Further down there was always great fishing for smallies and northerns, What they may have lacked in size, they more than made up for in heart and willingness. Great sport for a kid who spent the late 60's-mid 70's floating the river from the ramp behind the bar to get picked up by Mom at the access on the east shore of the lake day after day all summer. 

The millpond above the dam was deep, there was a sunken old sawmill in there that we would swim out to and stand neck high on the framing of. We would jump off the railroad bridge into the depths. Catch rainbows, browns, pike, walleye smallmouth and largemouth in the quiet waters above the RR bridge.

Now the powehouse is gone and the river and pond are but mere shadows of their former selves. Vast expanses of barren silt fill in all the holes. The water beneath the railroad bridge is a couple of feet deep, with several feet of silt extending to the old bottom Weeds barely even get a purchase in the thick fluffy nothingness that seems to have choked the very life out of the once beautiful waterway. The lower river, where it cames into Lake Bellaire used to be 5-7' deep, and incredibly full of life. Now all one sees even all the way down there with polarized glasses on is silt, and more silt covered with 2-3' of water. Depressing.

My understanding is that there was a proposal decades ago to cycle the existing dam to keep the silt buildups from being as bed, but it was fought by the landowners on Intermediate Lake as they wanted to maintain a consistent water level. Maybe the issue could be revisited to see what can be done to alleviate this situation.


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## LivingLegend (Apr 7, 2005)

Give it up Duke!The Info


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