Slave Lake - hot spots?

[rsako]

So..was out with my son recently on Slave Lake. We camped at Shaw's Point Resort. Had a great time! We usually fish Calling Lake. So it was all new to us on this monster body of water (a little further away from home).

Caught lots of what I would call smaller 'eyes' on the north side (in the western basin) But no biggies!

The water is very high this year the locals were saying. in fact, Shaw's Point Resort marina #2 is flooded beyond use...except boat launching.

The water on the west end is like mud due to all the flooding and run-off.

The regs allow 'keepers' for anything over 43cm! No Slot Size... which i think may be affecting the opportunity to catch lunkers for fun and photo ops.

So my question is...Where are all the bigger 'eyes' on the western side of the lake?? Any left? Is this famed walleye lake 'falling apart'?

Thoughts anyone?

[Shmag]

So..was out with my son recently on Slave Lake. We camped at Shaw's Point Resort. Had a great time! We usually fish Calling Lake. So it was all new to us on this monster body of water (a little further away from home).

Caught lots of what I would call smaller 'eyes' on the north side (in the western basin) But no biggies!

The water is very high this year the locals were saying. in fact, Shaw's Point Resort marina #2 is flooded beyond use...except boat launching.

The water on the west end is like mud due to all the flooding and run-off.

The regs allow 'keepers' for anything over 43cm! No Slot Size... which i think may be affecting the opportunity to catch lunkers for fun and photo ops.

So my question is...Where are all the bigger 'eyes' on the western side of the lake?? Any left? Is this famed walleye lake 'falling apart'?

Thoughts anyone?


The answer to your question is "YES" this famed walleye lake is falling apart. Not enough is being done to protect medium to large spawning fish. They tried a slot size but ended that a year or two in because they say "People are not smart enough to understand slot reg's" Slot size needs a good 7 years to show its benefits. So any joe and his dog that catch's a sizeable fish are removing it from the system, thus leaving nothing but skinny walleye.

I moved to slave in 92 and big fish of the day on tournaments was usually 8 pounders and seemed like every year the big fish weight goes down by half a pound. Don't feel discouraged that you are not catching big fish, the last classic tournament at faust a couple weeks ago seen day 2 big fish of the day at around 3 and a half pounds, and it was fished hard by alot of guys that know what they are doing.

Long story short, slave is in a sad sad state !!!

[Jamie Black R/T]

Yep that lake needs some serious management ASAP

we fished the faust firefighters tourny at the end of May and i had the big fish of the day most of day one at a whopping 2 pounds 7 ounces! sad i know.

second day of fishing two teams brought in fish over 7 pounds.

So there are good ones in there still...but they let people take them home and trust me, guys like us who see the benefit of releasing those big girls are outnumbered by guys who feel the need to keep everything they are legally allowed too and possibly more.

Slave needs a slot size so bad it hurts. :angry3:

[sheepstalker]

I have a buddy with a cabin on the faust side of the lake, he said the fishing has never been better, however he has noticed a decrease in the size of the fish over the last couple of years............ :confused:

[Mike_W]

You will want to look for drop offs or banks in the 25 -35 ft range

[Cal]

The big fish are in the Lesser Slave River, I just cant find them this year as the river bottom has changed dramaticly and with all the flooding I havnt been out trying to find new holes. I catch some bigger walleyes in the lake but you gotta get them late in the evening.

[crown royal 17]

Caught and released three over eight pounds out of the lake and one over nine pounds out of the river this season there is still a few monsters out here, two of my friends and one of my brothers have one each over twelve pounds on there wall at home. Did the tourney and caught only three and a half the lake was ugly though.

[Shmag]

Caught and released three over eight pounds out of the lake and one over nine pounds out of the river this season there is still a few monsters out here, two of my friends and one of my brothers have one each over twelve pounds on there wall at home. Did the tourney and caught only three and a half the lake was ugly though.


Well crown...all i can say is dont change what you're doing, because alot of guys will fish this lake for years and not have that luck. I do agree that they're still some nice fish in there, but the bottom line is their numbers are dwindling. When i moved up in 92 it was nothing to have the kind of year you are having, not so much anymore. I am always up for pointers in case you feel generous enough to pm me...lol

[crown royal 17]

Just another note if you are willing to try different methods you will find that the bigger walleye hit the bigger baits or lures .At last years Anglers Cup I caught a seven and a half and a five pound walleye during the pre fish but during the tourney I couldn't break three pounds but the boat before me on weigh in had a six pound . Can't seem to catch the big ones during a tourney ,I wonder if I'm to fishing to shallow and afraid to bring one out of the deep water and lose it?? Hmm.. is this the hint?

[superuke]

Having been fishing the east of the lake this week, bride and I average 30-50 walleye in couple of hours. Most of them are 47-50 cm, about 15 % over 52 cm.
We do not use bait, simple trolling. Depth does not matter but best results
10-18 ft.

[rsako]

Having been fishing the east of the lake this week, bride and I average 30-50 walleye in couple of hours. Most of them are 47-50 cm, about 15 % over 52 cm.
We do not use bait, simple trolling. Depth does not matter but best results
10-18 ft.

What'chya trolling with? Rapalas?

Crown, how about you?

[crown royal 17]

Rapala long cast minnow 6" trolled on bottom bouncer or three way rig very slowly. Also a Candle Lake shiner on bottom bouncer with a smiley blade. Just a couple of my set ups 25' to 40' of water. 3/4 Ounce Red Vegas jig head and Jumbo worm deadsticked left in rod holder and 2'' off the bottom 35' to 40' of water.
Good deed for the summer.

[Shmag]

Just another note if you are willing to try different methods you will find that the bigger walleye hit the bigger baits or lures .At last years Anglers Cup I caught a seven and a half and a five pound walleye during the pre fish but during the tourney I couldn't break three pounds but the boat before me on weigh in had a six pound . Can't seem to catch the big ones during a tourney ,I wonder if I'm to fishing to shallow and afraid to bring one out of the deep water and lose it?? Hmm.. is this the hint?


Hmmmm....Crown Royal is also my drink of choice, we might just have to head out on the water one evening. My wife and i finished 14th or 15th in the anglers last year, same thing caught nice one's prefishin and couldnt catch size when it mattered. Missed the prize money by .22 of a lb and the big money by 1 lb. We made 1 costly mistake, alot of mental game involved in tourny's and i think thats where we are lacking,lol

[rsako]

Great pointers folks! I'll give it a whirl next time out. Won't be this weekend...as I have tickets to the Indy Race weekend up here in Edmonton :sHa_shakeshout:

[crown royal 17]

Indy ! Man a real driver races Nascar even Danica is switching over. The Crown Royal #17 Matt Kenseth will the Sprint Championship this year. Oh sorry this is suppose to be about Slave Lake . LOL

[rsako]

Indy ! Man a real driver races Nascar even Danica is switching over. The Crown Royal #17 Matt Kenseth will the Sprint Championship this year. Oh sorry this is suppose to be about Slave Lake . LOL

:thinking-006:

:) hope the rain stops some day!

[Shmag]

Was downstream of the weir today (east end ) thought i had a hog on my pickrel rig and here it was 1 walleye on each hook. I did it before but it was long ago, but that was my double header on 1 rod for the day

[msk]

Based on previous experience, what will the action be like the first week of August? Looking at heading up for a few days that week.....

Thanks....

[Shmag]

Based on previous experience, what will the action be like the first week of August? Looking at heading up for a few days that week.....

Thanks....

Normally, August is great anywhere on slave...but it hasn't been a normal year. With the amount of run off over the last couple weeks and more this weekend the lake is really brown and muddy looking. I'm thinking slower presentation with rattling jigs