Muir Lake not so good?
 

Tried Muir on Sunday from noon 'til 4 pm, more from a fall tradition and "what if?" since hadn't heard reports. My doubts were raised when saw no vehicles in the parking lot at noon, and confirmed after two hours without a bite (balanced leeches). I was the only one out in a boat.

Started to pack up and leave at 2 pm but two young fellows with spinning gear came to fish from the dock and showed me a picture of a husky brown trout taken on a spinner the evening before.

So went out again and managed a 16 inch 'bow and that was all she wrote for another two hours. Yesterday was much better, but at a different lake.

Thanks for the report. I was curious myself so it is good that you "took on for the team". Thanks! Hopefully the water levels stay decent and it can recover to closer to former glory.

Thanks for the info yesterday. You saved me a trip.

I'd love to try and fool brown trout or two but it will wait until next year when they are that much bigger.

It's certainly doesn't sound like the fishery it once was. Let's hope for better years ahead.

Will probably see you out on the water a few more times if the weather holds.

Was out on Saturday-had to break some ice to get to open water. Not a bite in a couple of hours fishing. Did see some guys in a boat catch three fish at the north end in the shallows. This was my worst year at Muir for fish numbers. Hopefully next year it's better. Packed the boat away for the season.

Seems nothing lasts forever on the trout potholes. Get a couple good years and then they go downhill. Muir, Swan, Boehlkes, and lest we forget ol jackfish up by myrnam all had there day. I swear there was 15 lbers in there...

It could last a lot longer when the aerators are not shut off like they did the year before.

Yep. Major screw up by the ones that made that decision. All due to a hundred year old legal clause. All water under the aerator now. Miller's, Muir and others will take a few years to bounce back.


I wonder if development around Muir has effected water levels?


Jackfish ( by Myrnam) was also down about 7' or 8' feet last time I stopped by there a few years back. Drought, like there has been in Lakeland county and area for 20 some years hit many lakes hard, particularly the small ones.

Oh ya I forgot about the aerators....and yes jackfish was way down at the end. Agreed.

I fished Muir twice earlier this fall, and it was a long time between bites in most cases. Did get some very nice fish tho, a couple that clearly survived the kill a couple years back, but 18"-19" seemed to be top end. The highlight was an 8hr streak with no hits, only to get 18 fish or so in less than 2hrs...

A few browns.

My biggest worry was my inability to find water deeper than 13ft. The water along shore seems high (Muir standards folks), and am wondering if the lake is filling up from the bottom. Even Loon S#@$ Island seems larger, the channels tougher to get through, etc.

Anyone else notice this??

Nick

So you're saying the water level is higher than previous years yet the island seems larger too? If so that's really interesting. I'd say the lake must be filling up with fly anglers BS.:)

Only two years of sticking in there. The rest died.
18" fish at the end of the second year is about right.

Don

Why I'm saying is the depth is less or so I found, yet the shore is not noticeably low, the water seems fine. The island probably just is larger in the mind, yes, probably because I hadn't fished it since the kill, but am curious if others have found the water to be shallower than say, 8 or 10 years ago.

The deepest I ever found Muir to be was 24 feet just past the island where the beaver hut was. There was a lot of water in the 16-18 foot mark in that area between 2005 and 2010. I would think what you are suggesting could only be the result of lake bottom upheaval. An overabundance of weeds or **** wouldn't do it.

Weedy, I do have the fish finder sensitivity pretty high, but it usually shows the weeds pretty well. I can't imagine it being ten feet off. I used to register a couple spots like 22, and another 18 or so. Wondering if anyone else has done any cruising and what they've found.

Should amend that one of the two days was with someone else's sonar, yet both showed the same. Hard to locate anything near 13ft.

I used to regularly Chironomid fish there at 15-20 depths 1 foot off bottom. I had a fish finder on my boat that accurately matched the depths I would set my rigs to. I haven't been there for some years, sounds like something funny going on. Could it possibly be that weeded up due to the recent years of weather?

Were you by the beaver hut?

What's the north end of the lake like? Must be impossible.

I'm in Weedy's camp and concur on what he is saying for depths and locations. But I also haven't been there since before the kill off either.

I had no idea that Muir Lake was as bad as everyone is saying. I live just north of there and always see a lot of activity there.