How to Fish Minnewanka?

[SkunkedatMinnewanka]

Hi there,

Had a fun fishing trip to Minnewanka this weekend with a friend, minus the part of us catching 0 fish.

All in all we had 1 bite which was on my friend's line early in the morning on one of the first casts but the fish got away.

I was using my Garmin Striker 4 sonar and was positive I was picking up tons of fish, definitely had the distinctive "arch like" shape on my finder. Some would swim in groups or close together and some swam solo, but never stayed in the area they were swimming out of the range of the sonar.

We fished mostly closer to shore around the campground +/- 1km. Never detected any fish at depths greater than 100ft and most of all the detections occurred at around 45-75ft and my sonar was telling me the fish were usually about 10ft from the surface.

However, despite picking up all these fish we got skunked! Would've loved to catch one and we would've let whatever we caught go free after getting a photo too. We both were using white tubes and a combo of different spoons with >2oz weights on the line. Mostly just jigging.

I was surprised because I read here that the fish there go deep in August but that wasn't the case at all from what my sonar was telling me.

Anyone have any tips for that lake? All in all was a beautiful experience, got a bunch of photos and saw wildlife at the campground, group of 20 ram/mountain goats.

[TROLLER]

your sonar was most likely showing schools of Rocky Mt. White Fish and some clutter in the water.

If you don't have a down rigger you have to get deep now for the lakers. Use a 3 way swivel with a 3oz. sinker. 4-6 ft. of leader with a grey flat fish in 45 to 60 FOW should get you some action. Also make note of your speed, should be in the 2MPH range

[EZM]

Yup - those swarms are likely whites, or as common in there ciscoes.

That lake isn't easy to fish anymore. 30 years ago you could catch lakers steady all day long without working too hard.

The last 20 years or so the decline has been severe.

We troll and try to locate the bigger marks (lakers) normally close to the bottom in deeper water this time of year, and then anchor and jig.

Seems to me, unless you are fishing that lake all the time, it takes hours and hours of work to get one on board - so it's not you, and it's not what you are doing.

I can spend a weekend at Minnewanka and three guys might catch a few fish - or I can spend a day on Cold and put 60 lakers in the boat.

The scenery, however, is spectacular.

[SkunkedatMinnewanka]

Originally Posted by EZM

That lake isn't easy to fish anymore. 30 years ago you could catch lakers steady all day long without working too hard.

The last 20 years or so the decline has been severe.

When we got there in the morning it was so peaceful almost nobody else. Got back to the docks around 3pm and I kid you not there were maybe a thousand people.... and felt like I was somewhere in Southeast Asia... Just hope the decline isn't caused by a ton of people taking these fish home to eat.

If anything the fisheries dept should focus less on the lead-free and bait regulations in this lake and enforcing catch and release on all fish including lakers.

[SkunkedatMinnewanka]

Originally Posted by EZM

so it's not you, and it's not what you are doing.

I can spend a weekend at Minnewanka and three guys might catch a few fish - or I can spend a day on Cold and put 60 lakers in the boat.

Thanks for the confidence boost. I'm gonna go to pine lake this coming weekend to feel good about myself again anyways lol. Heard you can catch 30+ fish a day there mostly scary lookin walleye but hey a fishs a fish.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by SkunkedatMinnewanka

When we got there in the morning it was so peaceful almost nobody else. Got back to the docks around 3pm and I kid you not there were maybe a thousand people.... and felt like I was somewhere in Southeast Asia... Just hope the decline isn't caused by a ton of people taking these fish home to eat.

If anything the fisheries dept should focus less on the lead-free and bait regulations in this lake and enforcing catch and release on all fish including lakers.

The decline, in my opinion was really high keep limits on a lake that couldn't sustain itself and that type of harvest.

They also stopped stocking the lake about 30-40 years ago .....

And the water is cold, deep and there are few food sources compared to other lakes (lake is mesotrophic).

The lake has a very low recruitment rate (natural reproduction).

That all adds up to a lake that may not recover on it's own. Te current policy by the national parks is one of non intervention - so there is a possibility these lakes will not be there in another 20-30 years.

[thumper]

Actually, I'm surprised that Parks Canada still allows retention of a native fish (lakers). You aren't permitted to pick berries or mushrooms or any other native species in the national parks. But for what it's worth, I've had success on Minnewanka lakers slowly trolling a black (or gray) & white Apex, on a downrigger - *while continually zig-zagging, or doing 'S' turns*. Fish tend to hit as the lure suddenly speeds up, coming out of an inside turn. Minnewanka lakers just follow, and then lose interest when trolling in a straight line

Some have success with trailing a fly behind the Apex! Remember to be aware of the National Park restriction having lead in your possession....

[EZM]

Originally Posted by thumper

Actually, I'm surprised that Parks Canada still allows retention of a native fish (lakers). You aren't permitted to pick berries or mushrooms or any other native species in the national parks. But for what it's worth, I've had success on Minnewanka lakers slowly trolling a black (or gray) & white Apex, on a downrigger - *while continually zig-zagging, or doing 'S' turns*. Fish tend to hit as the lure suddenly speeds up, coming out of an inside turn. Minnewanka lakers just follow, and then lose interest when trolling in a straight line

Some have success with trailing a fly behind the Apex! Remember to be aware of the National Park restriction having lead in your possession....

Agreed - really, the way I look at it, in comparison it really boils down to doing the "exact same thing" on Cold Lake and your catch rate goes up X 30.

It's not to say that doing things like s turns or varying the speed is going to change that, because when your on Cold lake and it slows down, you pay more attention to doing those type of things - often times, you drop the riggers, start trolling and maybe start your first S and there a fish on .... makes people lazy for sure .....Cold lake is as good (for numbers) as any drive to lake in Western Canada for Lakers.

I am also surprised retention is still allowed on that National Park lake given the numbers of fish in that lake. If you pay attention to you sonar, look at the type of marks you are seeing (and which ones are more likely to be lakers) the lake is seems almost (sarcastic) devoid of life compared to Cold Lake. I was quite surprised last time I went out. Had put on lots of miles, had the side image curtains out as far as they would go ..... and saw maybe 1% of the marks you would on Cold. Literally. I seriously was thinking my sonars (all of them) were all not working properly .... lol

To me, who grew up fishing that lake almost every weekend, for years and years, and seeing what it is now, it quite saddening.

Jigging up 100 lakers in a day in that lake with a couple guys in the boat was easy money. Try that today - any guide - any fish pro - period. This is not the same lake anymore.

[TROLLER]

Originally Posted by SkunkedatMinnewanka

Thanks for the confidence boost. I'm gonna go to pine lake this coming weekend to feel good about myself again anyways lol. Heard you can catch 30+ fish a day there mostly scary lookin walleye but hey a fishs a fish.

Don't know where you heard that bull about Pine but that lake has seen it's best days a few yrs. back. If you got skunked at Minny wait till you try Pine.