Wiau Lake

[jafo]

Just wondering if any one on the forum has directions into Wiau lake, and if you would be willing to pass them on. Thanks for any help

[huntingaddict]

just follow the convoy, I've been fishing there for 10yrs was a good little secret lake untill too many people opened their mouths. I was on there earlier this winter and there was 83 vechicles. The fishing is just getting destroyed.
""Gotta get our limit"' who cares about next yr.

[unclebuck]

Same thing happened with Chief, Drowned, Cow, Behan, & Clyde. Fished all of them in the time that I lived in LLB. Unfortunate how "poop happens", and wrecks a good fishery in a hurry.

[blackonblackfx4]

Where is Drowned? And what's in it?

[Walleyes]

Originally Posted by unclebuck

Same thing happened with Chief, Drowned, Cow, Behan, & Clyde. Fished all of them in the time that I lived in LLB. Unfortunate how "poop happens", and wrecks a good fishery in a hurry.

Boy ain't that the truth Rick.. A guy could add about twice that many to the mix.. How about Jackson, Kinnard, Blacket look at what the government in their infinite wisdom has done there with there bloody groomed trail into those lakes.

For some of us that grew up fishing those lakes and can vividly remember fishing them before they were even on map its hard to take I'll tell yah..

Just like the deer hunting in that country,, there's a Newfy on every cutline cleaning up on em..

[kreator]

I wouldn't place the blame 100% on fishing pressure, though that is without a doubt a shame. A lot of those lakes are shallow and prone to winterkill. Clyde was loaded with jumbos one year, then no one caught a single Perch the next year. There's no way you can catch every fish in a lake of that size in one year. I realize that there were sometimes 300+ people on the lake, but the large majority of them were concentrated in one small section, despite the fact that there were Perch everywhere. Plus, the trapper there said the shore was loaded with dead Perch the next summer. I think a lot of them moved up the Wiau River looking for oxygen. Why else were we catching them in 6 inches of water? I'm certainly not condoning what is happening on Wiau right now, but I do think the effect of fishing pressure on those lakes is exaggerated. I think it's more of an issue of the atmosphere of a nice remote lake like that being overrun with dozens and dozens of trucks, sleds and quads.

[kreator]

I should clarify that I am certainly not referring to Jackson/Blackett/Kinnaird. They have year-round pressure that a lake like Wiau or Clyde certainly do not have and it has without a doubt had a negative impact.

[Walleyes]

Yes thats true Kreator those lakes are prone to winter kill.. I am all aware of those lakes after living in the area for 44 years a guy pics up on the odd thing..

The problem with the fishing pressure is those lakes will never get a chance to be what they once were. Winter kills are nothing new up there but it didn't take the lakes long to reproduce. Now they will never get the chance..

[goober]

Originally Posted by Walleyes

Yes thats true Kreator those lakes are prone to winter kill.. I am all aware of those lakes after living in the area for 44 years a guy pics up on the odd thing..

The problem with the fishing pressure is those lakes will never get a chance to be what they once were. Winter kills are nothing new up there but it didn't take the lakes long to reproduce. Now they will never get the chance..

I have never been to or even heard of a few of the lakes you guy's are referring to. With all this new added pressure on them is it safe to say that over the years access has become easier?

[Walleyes]

Originally Posted by goober

I have never been to or even heard of a few of the lakes you guy's are referring to. With all this new added pressure on them is it safe to say that over the years access has become easier?

Its a combination of things goober. Easier access, population increase and as you know everyone has a machine of some sort if it be a quad or snow machine. Most of these lakes have had access to them for over 30 years now but very few people knew about them or had the means of getting into them.

Unfortunately they are going to be remembered as the good old days.. Breaks my heart to see the amount of people in that country it really does... Growing up in those woods and seeing them now,, just unbelievable...

[kreator]

Walleyes is right. Access has gotten easier and population has definitely increased. Nowadays there are a maze of cutlines that can get you to whatever lake you want, especially in that neck of the woods. Not to mention gigantic 4x4 trucks, quads or side by sides make the trip a lot easier than in the past.

[Levy]

Where are these fishermen coming from? Im from the Iron River Area and like to venture out on occasion but we have enough lakes here and well i don't usually get bored fishing them so i only head out a few times a winter usually your way to Dabbs, Seibert, or Fork.
I have seen the same thing happen here a few times. Usually a lake winterkills or gets fished out, nobody fishes it then someone fishes it few years later and catches jumbos. Then word spreads and in no time the lake is swamped and fished out within two or three winters. Out here there's a couple of locals who are guilty of over fishing but thats maybe ten people. When we talk to guys we see out on the lake EVERY TIME we go out, three out of four are from one community in particular, and on weekends they bring half the town with them.
One winter around ten years ago on boxing day we counted over 200 vehicles on Manatokan, i was raised right beside the lake and hadn't seen much more than fifteen vehicles on the lake at a time before that winter.
Are most of the people fishing those lakes from the Lac la biche area or are you guys in the same boat as us?

[blackonblackfx4]

Are people from the Christina plants fishing these lakes? How was there 83 vehicles one day?!

[unclebuck]

The fishermen come from all over the area - mostly from Ft. Mac, with the remainder from LLB, Plamondon, Grassland, Boyle, Smoky Lake, St. Paul, etc. Like Levy said, most of the fishermen are retired (2 & 3 to a pickup) are there more on a daily, rather than a weekend basis, taking their limit each time. The lake loads up on weekends with your normal family type fishermen, along with those that "live" on the lake on a daily basis. Awfully hard on a fish population!!!

[rookiemoosehunter]

Personally, I think alot of the increased pressure on these remote lakes is due to things like facebook, twitter, and sites like this spreading the word that fish are biting way too fast. The last few years I have personally seen guys taking pictures of jumbo perch at some of these lakes and posting it on facebook..etc. Then you can here them calling people saying "yeah I am hammmering jumbo perch at this lake I read about on the internet, you guys should come....Heres the directions."

I have fished most of the lakes talked about in this thread all my life as i lived in NE Alberta all my life.
Kreator is correct with the lakes being prone to winter kill but I am not sure easier access is as big of a concern. The cutlines I use to get to alot of these lakes are the same ones I used years ago.
I do think less snow fall amounts and having the seimec and winter drilling programs plowing the snow on the cutlines does make it easier to get to remote lakes now. Look at Clyde 2 years ago, they plowed a path right to the trappers cabin....

But overall, the word of mouth seems to travel alot faster than it used to.....Thats just my opionion though.

[Walleyes]

You are absolutely right r.m.h. that is a big thing.

Most of these lakes have had access to them since the 60's. Jackson and Kinnard since 1952 thats when my father first brought in his sawmill to the area. If you remember the old wood bridge between the lakes that was his bridge built in '54.

Wiau, Clyde, Behan, Steepbanks the list goes on my father was cutting seismic line and building fireline in there dating back to the late 50's and early 60's. The early 60's and 70's saw the big seismic line activity in the area. Actually there hasn't been a lot of seismic cutting in there for the last 30 years some but not much. When they put through Hwy# 881 that really opened up those lakes it just made them that much easier to get at no doubt about it. But there is no bigger destroyer than technology itself,, these type of sites definitely do a lot of harm to those old quite little places.. There are no secrets anymore..

[catnthehat]

Grist , Winnifred, and Christina used to be fantastic fisheries, and it was no small feet to get here either - 4 hours sometimes to Christina from Ft. mac.
Now you can go into grist and back in one day of you want to.
the fishing in both Winnifred and Grist reflects that as well!
Cat

[Walleyes]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Grist , Winnifred, and Christina used to be fantastic fisheries, and it was no small feet to get here either - 4 hours sometimes to Christina from Ft. mac.
Now you can go into grist and back in one day of you want to.
the fishing in both Winnifred and Grist reflects that as well!
Cat

Didn't take long either did it cat ???

Look at Winnifred,, its only been the last 10 years maybe that it took a dive..

I remember back in the day we would struggle to get in there,, we would go in the spring when the frost was still in but most of the snow was gone or we would fly in on one of my bro inlaws float planes in the summer,, man the fish.. It didn't take any skill either. An old five a diamonds on the line and the 8 & 10 pound walleye were game.

Back a few years ago just when they started to improve the road my nephew and I went into Winnifred for a June fish. You were still allowed 3 a piece then. The first day we drug some Raps around the cliffs. At the end of the day we weighed our stringer,, 6 fish and the stringer weighed 42# no kidding..

[AxeMan]

At least my favorite lake in this area hasn't been mentioned yet. It is not just hiway 881 that has opened up the area. Alpac's huge logging projects and new winter roads have really opened things up especially on the west side of these lakes.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Walleyes

Didn't take long either did it cat ???

Look at Winnifred,, its only been the last 10 years maybe that it took a dive..

I remember back in the day we would struggle to get in there,, we would go in the spring when the frost was still in but most of the snow was gone or we would fly in on one of my bro inlaws float planes in the summer,, man the fish.. It didn't take any skill either. An old five a diamonds on the line and the 8 & 10 pound walleye were game.

Back a few years ago just when they started to improve the road my nephew and I went into Winnifred for a June fish. You were still allowed 3 a piece then. The first day we drug some Raps around the cliffs. At the end of the day we weighed our stringer,, 6 fish and the stringer weighed 42# no kidding..

Half of the adventure used to be getting there!
We used to go in the spring, when and travel in the morning, then we would make a trip in the summer IF the rain had stayed away!
Grist was always a treat just before freeze up, when the road was good, and so was the fishing !
We used to keep only one trout a piece then....
Cat

[Walleyes]

Originally Posted by AxeMan

At least my favorite lake in this area hasn't been mentioned yet. It is not just hiway 881 that has opened up the area. Alpac's huge logging projects and new winter roads have really opened things up especially on the west side of these lakes.

Oh there's a few of them that havn't been mentioned on here nor will they ever be mentioned on here,, by me anyways..

[jack88]

Originally Posted by huntingaddict

just follow the convoy, I've been fishing there for 10yrs was a good little secret lake untill too many people opened their mouths. I was on there earlier this winter and there was 83 vechicles. The fishing is just getting destroyed.
""Gotta get our limit"' who cares about next yr.

X's a million

[Walleyes]

Originally Posted by jack88

X's a million

Yah but what you guys don't realise is that you are part of the outside crowd that has come in and ruined it.. Some of us were fishing on those lakes 30 years ago and kept it quite..

I don't go to Wabamun why do you come here ???? you stay in your back yard I'll stay in mine...

[highwood]

Easy Walleyes, don't assume that every fisherman who isn't from Lac la Biche is ruining the small lakes north of there. As I recall, you don't even live up north anymore so calling it your backyard is fairly hypocritical, regardless of how long you lived there. Besides, you can't tell me with any honesty that fisherman from the area dont keep their limits weekend in and weekend out on some of these small lakes. I've seen many old fishermen from up north with 30 14 inch perch in the cooler over the years. In reality, it seems you yourself have contributed to the problem if you brought home 6 eyes from Winnifred and the scale read 42 pounds. Before you go pointing fingers, maybe you should re-evaluate some of your own comments and actions.

[Walleyes]

Originally Posted by highwood

Easy Walleyes, don't assume that every fisherman who isn't from Lac la Biche is ruining the small lakes north of there. As I recall, you don't even live up north anymore so calling it your backyard is fairly hypocritical, regardless of how long you lived there. Besides, you can't tell me with any honesty that fisherman from the area dont keep their limits weekend in and weekend out on some of these small lakes. I've seen many old fishermen from up north with 30 14 inch perch in the cooler over the years. In reality, it seems you yourself have contributed to the problem if you brought home 6 eyes from Winnifred and the scale read 42 pounds. Before you go pointing fingers, maybe you should re-evaluate some of your own comments and actions.

EXACTLY,, twas the point of my post.. I knew it would raise some eye brows and rustle some feathers..

We are all to blame when it comes to these lakes and the condition they are in.. I certainly don't like what is happening but I accept it,, what choice do we have..

But I do get a kick out of these guys that come from the citys and what not and fish a lake for 10 years and think it was their little secret... Like I said some of us fished them for 30 and we never fished them out.. But slowly slowly word gets around and boom there she blows you have what is taking place in the north east now..

P.S. Live there or not that country will always be my home and we will be moving back in 4 -5 years once my youngest is done school.. So please leave a few fish for me.. But like I said there are still a few lakes that haven't been found,, for now anyways..

And the few of us that used to head into Winefred once or twice a year and keep 6 fish certainly didn't fish out that big lake.. That lake would of sustained itself for generations at the rate we used to fish it,, same as most in the area..

[rookiemoosehunter]

Well Walleyes, you better move back soon and do some fishing. I flew over wiau today and you should have seen the people fishing for a monday morning!!! Might not catch a fish there next year.

[blackonblackfx4]

Originally Posted by rookiemoosehunter

Well Walleyes, you better move back soon and do some fishing. I flew over wiau today and you should have seen the people fishing for a monday morning!!! Might not catch a fish there next year.

On both Sides of the lake or just the south?

[jack88]

Originally Posted by Walleyes

Yah but what you guys don't realise is that you are part of the outside crowd that has come in and ruined it.. Some of us were fishing on those lakes 30 years ago and kept it quite..

I don't go to Wabamun why do you come here ???? you stay in your back yard I'll stay in mine...

Wow, you know where I live all of a sudden? I havent been alive for 30 years but for you to jump down on me like im some city slicker? I live alot closer than you think.
There is one town in particular that has a bad name around home for heading up to those lakes the last few years and really putting the boots to them. I'll keep that to myself.
It was only a matter of time before this happend with the oil activity, google earth showing you every line to drive down etc etc. The only secret that can be kept are the ones inside your head and even then, someone has probably already looked at that lake on google earth and said "I wonder if Jimmy is busy this weekend we should load up the quads and head out to this little lake to see whats in it"
And so it begins.

[jafo]

I am only 13 and i have been going fishing at Heart lake with my mom and dad since i was 1 year old, he has been fishing there since he was 12 and that is 32 years ago. He has hunted in that area for years and he just thought we might try a new lake so i thought i would try to find out how to get in here. I had Dad talk to the warden in Lac La Biche and he helped us with some directions. This forumn got a little off topic of directions and it doesn't look like anyone was willing to share. Sorry if i upset anyone by asking for directions.

[highwood]

Not your fault Jafo it happens from time to time on this forum. Good luck if you head out.