Cold Lake

[Maghunter]

Anybody been to Cold Lake this past week? I was there and the fishing was slow to say the least. The fish were mostly at the bottom of the lake. I caught a few at 130 ft. deep. Is this normal for this time of the year? Shouldn't the lakers be at higher levels. Last year at the same time we were catching them in 40-60 ft of water. What gives?

[EZM]

Anybody been to Cold Lake this past week? I was there and the fishing was slow to say the least. The fish were mostly at the bottom of the lake. I caught a few at 130 ft. deep. Is this normal for this time of the year? Shouldn't the lakers be at higher levels. Last year at the same time we were catching them in 40-60 ft of water. What gives?

The internet advice on how lakers "come up to shallow water in the spring" is not necessarily true of all lakes.

In Cold Lake and Pierce Lake (two lakes I regularly fish for Lake Trout in) the lakers stay relatively deep throughout the spring and summer. There is typically more fish found suspended deeper that most experts would tell us.

Lakers will go, logically, where the food is. The only time lakers seem to be shallow is when they are pushing the bait balls up and trapping them at the surface in the very early hours of the morning (before 5-6 AM) or after sunset it seems to me. And when that's happening - they are not easy to catch. It's unlikely they will leave a school of trapped fish to chase a spoon being trolled by them.

It has been my experience that 95% of the lakers caught in spring will require a downrigger or dipsy diver.

It's not to say you can't catch the odd laker at the surface, because you will, but the money's on the guy with the rigger.

I think much of these articles (and the general premise of this train of thought) was before everyone had a sonar and fish finder. Just have a look at your sonar and see what's going on below you and it might change your mind.

20 years ago - Fishermen (without sonars) had no way of knowing what was going on below the surface and made their best guesses based on what they saw and what they caught. And you will catch more Lakers on the surface in Spring or fall compared to the summer.

I would also say, the further north you go, generally the lakers are shallower throughout the year as well.

[catnthehat]

There is also the turnover of the water to consider.
This is just an assumption on my part, but I think smaller lakes like Grist turn over more dramatically than larger ones like Cold lake or Lake Athabasca, and that there can also be pockets of warmer water in certain areas in the spring.
This could affect the bait fish so would affect the lakers maybe?

Cat

[58thecat]

There is a lot of water flowing in the lake, things are a little wonky this year, normally I catch from the surface down to 30 feet or so early season then a little deeper as the season goes on.

I still hit the bait balls, marks off the bait balls are lakers picking at the Sisco, that's were I drop lines and cross cross those areas...no sense just winging it u less you out for a boat ride.

[Kurt505]

I was out a few weeks ago and was catching them in 30'-38' of water off the hump north of garnet.

[cube]

Anybody been to Cold Lake this past week? I was there and the fishing was slow to say the least. The fish were mostly at the bottom of the lake. I caught a few at 130 ft. deep. Is this normal for this time of the year? Shouldn't the lakers be at higher levels. Last year at the same time we were catching them in 40-60 ft of water. What gives?

While it's true that spring and fall are the easiest to catch lakers shallow it is also true that this is the worst time of the year to catch lakers.
With no thermal barrier they are free to spread out every where. So if you will the water is more diluted as per the lakers. Unless you find them stacking up on some kind of bait formation usually the fishing is slow.

[EZM]

There is also the turnover of the water to consider.
This is just an assumption on my part, but I think smaller lakes like Grist turn over more dramatically than larger ones like Cold lake or Lake Athabasca, and that there can also be pockets of warmer water in certain areas in the spring.
This could affect the bait fish so would affect the lakers maybe?

Cat

I think that's another excellent point.

Every Lake is going to have specific conditions to consider. Big Lakes like Cold lake will maintain stratification throughout the entire spring/summer and fall and fish will relate to that layer. Everything below that layer sits at 4 degrees all year long and, in the case of cold lake, has good O2 levels saturated throughout.

[cube]

There is also the turnover of the water to consider.
This is just an assumption on my part, but I think smaller lakes like Grist turn over more dramatically than larger ones like Cold lake or Lake Athabasca, and that there can also be pockets of warmer water in certain areas in the spring.
This could affect the bait fish so would affect the lakers maybe?

Cat

Not sure about other stratifying lakes but Cold Lake mixes way more than most think.

I was on there in early July a couple of years back and there was a thermocline that had developed. Temp readings at the surface were in the mid to high 60's F and below the thermocline low to mid 40's F. That night a wind blew up but not so bad one could not get on the lake and I was shocked the lake had gone isothermal overnight (including Frenchman's bay). Water temp from top to 150 ft down went to 47 F. It was then that I knew why they called it cold lake. I believe this also leads to the "good O2 levels saturated throughout" that EZM is referring to.

Basically Cold Lake with most of the lake exposed to the wind and large fetch area's Mixes more and does not form stable thermoclines until quite late.