# Help--Thunder Bay River Alpena



## BruceL (Jan 24, 2013)

I am looking at purchasing a small cottage on the Thunder Bay River north of Alpena. It's only about a 1/2 mile north of Lake Winyah. My question to anybody who might have fished or kayaked this part of the river. Are there any fish, can one kayak through Lake Winyah and the two dams and get to Thunder Bay and then into Lake Huron? I really need to speak with somebody who knows this area well before I purchase this property for I do not want to just buy something which only allows me to look at the water and not fish, canoe & kayak (mainly fish and fly fishing too). Thanks in advance!

Note: property is in Maple Ridge Township


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

You can portage around the dams but the last one at 9th street will give you quite a walk to do it. 'Lake Winyah' is just a fancy word they gave a bigger part of the river. You can easily canoe and kayak fish in that section too. There are a lot of bass, pike and panfish in there. Ive never gone fly fishing tho.


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## BruceL (Jan 24, 2013)

Thanks for the reply. Do you happen to know what the fishing is like lets say a mile up into the river?


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## hfitch (Apr 14, 2011)

I've heard, not experienced, that Lake Winyah has some very nice size pike.


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## BruceL (Jan 24, 2013)

Sorry I should have been more specific. I meant a mile up the river past Lake Winyah. Any idea or knowledge of that area of the river? The cottage I am thinking of buying is about a 1/2 mile up the river from the north end of Lake Winyah. I just didn;t know if the fishing was dead that far up or not. Even for smallies up there would be nice. I doubt steelhead or salmon go that far up and heard that they can;t even get past the dams wich totally sucks.


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

The steelhead and salmon can't make it past even the first dam. As for other fishing, its great. We have stayed at Campers Cove more than a few times and have caught big and small mouth bass, pike, bluegils and other panfish, bullheads, etc. Also have some Eagles that live along that part of the river. 
But the fishing is good on either side of the dams. Plus you have a good 'home base' to go explore tons of other small lakes around here.


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## BruceL (Jan 24, 2013)

Great and thanks for the info. The photo is the view from the lot down the river and I was hoping to be able to fly fish and cast right from the bank and also from my kayak as I float up or down the river.


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## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

Fishing should be good on most of the River. Nice pike and bass all throughout the River. We even get BIG walleye that make the run all the way up the River to here in Hillman in the fall.


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