# Wilderness State Park Fishing Advice



## FredBearYooper (Oct 5, 2009)

Taking my wife on a trip to relax and maybe catch some smallies, I have no idea where to start from shore. Any advice would be appreciated.


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## shametamer (Jul 22, 2001)

waugoshance point to the channel between it and temperance island...with the late spring we had ,some smallies should still be in shallow(usually better earlier in june)....you will see the regulars casting or fly fishing the most productive pools (are you bringing waders?)


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## FredBearYooper (Oct 5, 2009)

shametamer said:


> waugoshance point to the channel between it and temperance island...with the late spring we had ,some smallies should still be in shallow(usually better earlier in june)....you will see the regulars casting or fly fishing the most productive pools (are you bringing waders?)


Thanks! No waders, I’ve never really used them, would they be necessary? 


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

FredBearYooper said:


> Thanks! No waders, I’ve never really used them, would they be necessary?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Depends on how cold the water is and how long it takes before your legs go numb. Late August would be the best bet for wet wading. Surface temps are in the upper 60’s up there right now due to all the heat and sun over the last two weeks. But a good east wind can bring an upwelling of water in the 40-50 degree range at any time.


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## Stubee (May 26, 2010)

I fished there in August many years ago and even then my feet got pretty darned cold wet wading in tennis shoes. It is great fishing from shore and all I did was cast Rapala F-11s out into the boulders. Even a cheap pair of hip boots like Frogg Togg hip waders might be a good addition to your arsenal, worn with light long pants and thick socks. Might make for a more enjoyable day and they’re like $35.


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## BurlyCaveman (Mar 14, 2018)

I was out there second weekend of June. Hip waders were ok, but I had to bust out the chest waders to get to some of the spots I found more productive. At that time the water was vcold.

As far as I could tell they liked everything from topwater poppers to spinners to powerbait worms.


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## Brian027 (Mar 1, 2016)

Well, I was there for the first time ever this morning. Fished with my son in law who’s been there a half dozen times. We drove past the campgrounds to the end of the dirt road. It’s thigh deep water right from the parking lot with spots up to your chest. We Walked through the water about a mile out and back. Water is cool, we wore chest waders and were comfortable. I was tossing wooly buggers and poppers on the fly rod, son was using plastic swim baits. We caught a dozen 10-13” fish in about 2 hours. My impression is it’s a pretty cool place to fish. there’s miles of shoreline to fish but it’s all wading thru knee deep water so it’s work. Good luck if you go!


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

All of the Great Lakes are at all time record high water levels since record keeping started almost 100 years ago. If you go back in the future hopefully it’s easier to wade. We are around three feet or so above long term averages.


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## Brian027 (Mar 1, 2016)

Interestingly, there were two parking areas there. The one closest to the water was under water. As the wind picked up out of the north, it blew the water back out and when we got back the lot was dry. However, as we were packing up, the water was flowing back into the lot as the wind died. Be careful where you park if you go...


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## msfcarp (Jun 6, 2006)

I was also up to there middle of June, there were more guys than a I had ever saw before, I was somewhat astonished.


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## bassman00 (Feb 6, 2007)

It’s awesome fishing up there, our family has been camping up there for the last 60 years. We leave this week for our annual 2 week vacation. Can’t wait to get into the smallies, last year I got a 23” fish that was tagged.


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## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

msfcarp said:


> I was also up to there middle of June, there were more guys than a I had ever saw before, I was somewhat astonished.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


The weekly DNR report has been pimping Wilderness all year long along with the Carp River that's never happened before. IMO They'ret getting it from the tribal biologists who I seen analysing the Carp a couple of weeks ago.
IMO the creel census worker in this area while she says she works for the state really also collects data for the Odawa.
After what happened in the Traverse Bays I won't politely tell her squat.


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## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

FredBearYooper said:


> Thanks! No waders, I’ve never really used them, would they be necessary?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Stop by and pick up mine to use.


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## bankerman (Oct 5, 2006)

I'm heading up there tomorrow. Renting a cottage near Good Hart, I think. First time, so thrilled to hear about your 23"! Sounds like the week will be cloudy, hope that helps. Will flycast and try rapalas on a spinning rod.


bassman00 said:


> It’s awesome fishing up there, our family has been camping up there for the last 60 years. We leave this week for our annual 2 week vacation. Can’t wait to get into the smallies, last year I got a 23” fish that was tagged.


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## Kaka Filipo (Apr 8, 2017)

bankerman said:


> I'm heading up there tomorrow. Renting a cottage near Good Hart, I think. First time, so thrilled to hear about your 23"! Sounds like the week will be cloudy, hope that helps. Will flycast and try rapalas on a spinning rod.
> 
> Sent from my SM-J337P using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


I'm heading up there next week. It will be my first time at Wilderness S.P..

I haven't caught a smallie in 20 years, and I own no waders. Hopefully a spinning rod, a variety of floating and jerk bait Rapalas and some Senkos will take me to the promised land. I would love nothing more than to get into a 18"+ smallie. Actually, I'd love my 10 year old son to do it more, and I'd settle for a 16". 

Are there any fish in Big Stone Creek? How about wade or shore fishing Big Stone Bay? We're camping right near there, and I'd love to catch something near the campsite. Of course, I've never caught a fish in a Great Lake before, so I don't know what I'm doing.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

Kaka Filipo said:


> I'm heading up there next week. It will be my first time at Wilderness S.P..
> 
> I haven't caught a smallie in 20 years, and I own no waders. Hopefully a spinning rod, a variety of floating and jerk bait Rapalas and some Senkos will take me to the promised land. I would love nothing more than to get into a 18"+ smallie. Actually, I'd love my 10 year old son to do it more, and I'd settle for a 16".
> 
> Are there any fish in Big Stone Creek? How about wade or shore fishing Big Stone Bay? We're camping right near there, and I'd love to catch something near the campsite. Of course, I've never caught a fish in a Great Lake before, so I don't know what I'm doing.


The water temp is in the low 70’s at the straights, so it will be al least that around the shallows on the point. Bring your swimming trunks and you’ll be fine for wading.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

How is the trout fishing at Wilderness? Me and the wife are headed up Friday after work for a week. We are bringing ultralight gear since we will be doing a lot of hiking. Any chance we can get on some brookies, browns, or rainbows?


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## msfcarp (Jun 6, 2006)

tincanary said:


> How is the trout fishing at Wilderness? Me and the wife are headed up Friday after work for a week. We are bringing ultralight gear since we will be doing a lot of hiking. Any chance we can get on some brookies, browns, or rainbows?


There are some streams close by that do hold Trout.


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## msfcarp (Jun 6, 2006)

bassman00 said:


> It’s awesome fishing up there, our family has been camping up there for the last 60 years. We leave this week for our annual 2 week vacation. Can’t wait to get into the smallies, last year I got a 23” fish that was tagged.


I love up there also, the park renovations are going to be great when all done. I just hate to see all the stringers being drug around, though I admit if I didn’t live near SB I might be eating them too.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Tin Canary, have fun on the tunnel of trees. I just bombed it with the Expedition so thoroughly that a BMW three series pulled over for me.


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## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

Water temp in the area was 73° on Wednesday, but the wind hasn't really let up for 48 hours and it's blowing good right now out of the NW with the weather bouy claiming there's 4 footers.
My guess is the shallows will be pretty stirred up.
It's supposed to lay down by Monday and even blow out of the east for a couple of days next week.


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## Kaka Filipo (Apr 8, 2017)

Just a follow-up on this since I appreciated the input from folks here.

Last Tuesday and Wednesday, the water was all the way up to the last parking lot on the Waugoshance peninsula. If I'd had a kayak, I probably would have headed out to find some fishable water, but on foot and with a kid with me, the potential distance to wade in shallow water just to find a few nuggets of fishable water or to get all of the way to the channel was just too intimidating for us. 

I did manage to catch a nice 13-14" small bouncing a green pumpkin tube jig along the bottom of Big Stone Bay, so that was exciting for me.









I waded up into Big Stone Creek a bit, and I saw no signs of fish. The water is quite tanin stained (the creek seems to naturally damn up with sand every night), so I may have been missing some minnows, but I saw zero fish of any size in the creek. With the natural damning of the mouth of the stream, the water doesn't move much. It looks like it should be fishable, though. 

On a different note, we've never seen so many frogs in our life as there were out on the beaches and in the pools on the beach near Waugoshance Cabin. It was crazy.


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## A2Angler (Apr 16, 2017)

Heading up to WSP next week for a week of camping and fishing, can't wait!


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