Hotspotoutdoors

Was just on Sag and did pretty good...wondering how others did.

We found the walleye scattered all over the place with a fish here in the shallows and then on there in the deep water. Typical patterns with daytime bite coming deep and nighttime shallow, but wondering how others did on Sag and if they found the same kind of bite. I can fish the heck out of lakes like Mille Lacs and Vermilion but always have a tough time on Sag. Any advice for next year this same time of the year?

Smallmouth were going pretty good...as were the pike.

Also, what was the water temp? I didn't have my good unit with a thermometer along on this trip but the water seemed a bit cooler than usual.

Outdoors, I will be watching to see if you get any feedback with this question. I put forth a question a week ago about Sag and it went unanswered. Use to be lots of guys on here who would join in on chats about Sag in the past. I get the feeling that Sag has been a tough catch the last couple of years and people are staying away. Personally my group who goes yearly has struggled to catch eaters and the feedback from the locals has been very disappointing. I brought this up in another thread and had some guys suggesting that people start bugging the DNR about managing Sag back to health. I was told there was a report in the paper recently that said the DNR stocked Sag with several million Vermillion fingerlings this spring. Curious if anyone knows the details on that?

tkettel, no details on stocking, but of course the DNR office closest to Sag (is there a DNR office in Grand Marais?) would give you all details if phoned and asked. Either the area fisheries supervisor or a fisheries tech/biologist would spill all the beans.

I don't recall much chat about open water Sag on this board since I've been with HSO/FM, but winter lakers got a LOT of attention last winter because of a handful of youthful active folks who sledded up the corridor and walked in from there.

Here's the latest on Sag, as of last year, with a mention of the stocking of 'eyes to start this year.

And for those who don't feel like clicking and going to Sag via the DNR's lake finder feature, below is the lake finder assessment of the status of the fishery as of last August. I find it especially interesting that smelt are in Sag, but that they have not exploded and LED to the poor/nonexistent recruitment of walleyes, lakers, cisco and whitefish that has happened in Burntside. Makes me wonder how long smelt have been in Sag, and what other factors are involved.

In 2008 Saganaga Lake continued to support an excellent mixed fishery, providing opportunities for anglers to take walleye, northern pike, lake trout, smallmouth bass, and lake whitefish. No single species was present in high numbers, but all provided opportunities to catch large fish, as well as enough smaller fish to provide reasonable catch rates for anglers willing to accept a mixed bag.

The 2008 walleye catch was one of the lower catches seen in this lake historically. The catch consisted mainly of young fish, less than four years of age. The catch of large walleye was lower than usually seen in this lake.

One of the purposes of this assessment was to determine whether walleye fry stocking was needed to supplement natural reproduction in this lake. Anglers have been concerned for several years about the scarcity of small walleye, and DNR assessment and creel survey data have supported their perceptions. The 2008 assessment indicated that while natural reproduction continued to occur in Saganaga Lake, abundance of small walleye continued to be low. As a result of the relatively low catch observed in 2008, walleye fry stocking will begin in 2009.

The 2008 lake trout catch was similar to past catches seen in this lake, in terms of numbers and size of fish. Compared to similar lakes in the area, lake trout numbers in Saganaga Lake were not high; however, lake trout taken in 2008 were larger than typically seen in this area. All lake trout taken in 2008 had been produced naturally. Several year classes were represented in the catch, although none had been exceptionally strong. Growth rates for young lake trout had been somewhat slower than average.

The northern pike catch was one of the lower catches seen in this lake historically; however, it was about average when compared to catches seen in similar lakes in the area. Saganaga Lake has all the conditions needed to produce trophy northern pike, and several larger fish were taken in this assessment.

Gill nets are poor tools for sampling smallmouth bass, and catches in gill nets may not be representative of true smallmouth bass abundance or size. The smallmouth bass catch in 2008 was one of the lower catches observed in this lake, but most of the smallmouth bass taken were over 14 inches in length. Growth rates for smallmouth bass were apparently fast.

Forage for gamefish was provided by yellow perch, tullibee, and rainbow smelt. Yellow perch were not abundant in 2008; however, Saganaga lake has never supported high numbers of that species. Rainbow smelt abundance was low compared to levels seen in this lake in the past. Rainbow smelt provide excellent forage for gamefish, but they are an exotic species that can have adverse effects on survival of young of walleye, lake trout, whitefish, and tullibee. Tullibee are an important forage species for large northern pike and lake trout. Although the tullibee catch in 2008 was low for Saganaga Lake, it remained well within the normal range for a lake of this type. To obtain more information on forage in the lake, stomach contents for gamefish were checked in 2008. In addition to the major forage species mentioned above, walleye had consumed minnows and insects, lake trout had eaten insects and sculpin, and northern pike and smallmouth bass had been feeding on crayfish. Crayfish were almost the only item seen in smallmouth bass stomachs.

Saganaga Lake is infested with spiny waterflea, an exotic invertebrate. Anglers leaving the lake should take extra care to drain all live wells, bait buckets, and bilges, and thoroughly dry all ropes and lines before using them in another lake.

Steve, that was an interesting read. Pretty much supports what we have been seeing up there. So I wonder what the DNR's take is on Sag then? A lake that is on a normal downturn, or a lake that that has suffered some strange events and the walleye population is in trouble? A lot of the locals think that between the Bass explosion and the blowdown and fires that things have changed for the worse. This is the first year in a long time that I do not already have a trip planned for Sag. I may end up doing a day trip in July as my family will already be in GM. I wonder if they are seeing the normal numbers up there?

In years past, if I did not have an overnight motor permit for sag by april, for my July trip, I wasn't getting one. I find it interesting that this year, there is an abundant number of permits available and it is mid june.

I thought it might be recession related, but the poor fishing would explain it as well. Personally, it works to my advantage that sag is slow, so I can get my permit to access other parts beyond sag, but it is sad to hear the big girl is struggling.

I have motored/paddled across sag for 35 years and she is my favorite place to be.

well me and my friends are goin up to sag july 2nd and i really want to catch some walleyes and lake trout. Im all ready for lake trout but i need some tips on how to locate walleye. i go up to minnesota every year, we went to Moose lake near ely,MN

last year

Well my friends and i are goin up to sag july 2nd. And im ready to catch some walleye and lakers but i nedd help locating the walleye and how there biting.

How do you locate walleye?

I don't get to fish sag much so i haven't carcked any codes but know that later in the summer walleyes are caught slip bobbing rock humps. I heard they are still shallow as of lately.Good luck.

have you tried at night or at dawn? if you have then is it better than in the day time

I think everyone is jumping the gun a little on the walleye population. The lake has smelt and cisco meaning most of the walleyes in the lake could be pelagic fish. The smallmouth could be eating more of the shallow baitfish then before causing the walleye to switch to different food sources. Remember the test nettings from mille lacs a couple years back said the walleyes were at the lowest levels ever. Sometimes the Dnr and the test nets suffer from bad fishing also. Lakes change all the time, it usually takes fisherman a little more time to adjust. Have caught quite a few walleyes ice fishing the deep along with the lake trout up there. I would assume the fires and the economy has more to do with the permit availability than anything else. good luck

so the walleye population is down? well im up to sag in 3 days so ill tell you waht happens when i get back. Im looking forward to lakers and walleye but is walleye fishing better in the dawn and night or in the daytime?

Fishing for walleyes has been slower the past couple of years but there still aren't many places that have as good of odds of catching a 28+" fish. The best fishing is dawn or dusk, wind blown areas or sometimes night. Good Luck and enjoy the wilderness experience. You will catch fish if you fish good areas hard at the right times.

yeah i have a fishfinder so i have the depth.

I have done my best on Sag this time of year at evening. I usually sit on a reef or hump that goes from 30' plus in depth up to 6-10' and work the edges with slip bobbers or raps. Usually right before the sun sets my depth finder will go nuts as the fish come under the boat heading in shallow. I got my biggest fish 29" sitting right on the drop off and throwing a rap on top of the hump and pulling it back. One little secret I learned that hard way and through a tip from a guide up there. If you are slip bobbering deep water on Sag, have your bait off the bottom more than usual. If you are in 16', don't be afraid to have it up 2' from the bottom. Not sure if it is the boulders down there or what, but I learned the hard way to fish Sag off the bottom.
As for Sag and fishing, I am one of the people out there convinced through several bad years and chats with the locals that something has changed Sag and the walleye population. We use to get some awesome stringers full of eaters 5 years ago, and that has been harder and harder to do the last couple years. For that matter, we have not had a fish fry the last two years on Sag and that is with 6 guys fishing. We have caught and released some hawg walleyes and tons of bass. This is the first year I will not make it so Sag, and I am hoping for some reports that contradict what we have experienced up there. Good luck on your trip.

Could it be the proliferation of guides on Sag, and the daily customer limits they've been taking out? Ever try to find an open date with the established guides up there? They're booked solid! It adds up over time - the fish in these lakes grow slowly - gotta believe constant take-take-take by the guides and their customers creates size gaps in the walleye population over time. Throw in a couple bad spawns, and prrresto - where'd they go?

Just my opinion.

PS - A couple have pointed to the fires and blowdowns as potentially negative factors on the walleye population. Exactly how would this be? Fire and falling trees happen above water - walleyes live below water. Am I missing something here?

PS - A couple have pointed to the fires and blowdowns as potentially negative factors on the walleye population. Exactly how would this be? Fire and falling trees happen above water - walleyes live below water. Am I missing something here?

This was pointed out as a possibility for more permits being available. People go up to be in pristine wilderness setting not charred remains.

Go a couple posts earlier and read. Not necessarily the case. But I do agree with you - it's a different place after the fire.

I believe it has an awful lot to do with the explosion of the smallmouth bass population. Bass are very proficient and voracious predators. I still do not understand the reasoning behind the DNR's desire to place a size limit on these "rough" fish! Very few people keep them anyhow. Ever see a local keep a bass to eat? Not in my 30+ years of fishing the area. Sure bass are great fighters but so are carp and they get a lot bigger. But I do not see people clamboring over themselves to chase after them. Carp are ugly in relation to a bass. That is the only real reason people fish for them instead. Bass do not taste very good. Most times a rather muddy flavor. Please MN DNR remove the size restrictions so the southerners who come up here in the summer time can rem over these pests!

have eaten smallie many times in the B-dub. Never bigger than 16",, always very good. Not walleye, but not mud either.Smallies from a cold,deep lake like SAg are very nice to eat. And I'am not a southern boy, grew up in MN. Smallie is a gamefish to be respected, Wallys are hurtin on Sag because of overfishing, and the smallies are taking advantaged.
The lake has gotten hammered,,, maybe take motors away for 5 years???,, or restrict the quota of motor permits . It makes a difference when Sag kicks up ;, fishing outta of 16' foot Crestliner or a 16' Penobscot.

MUD

If Sag is getting hammered the rest of the lakes in the state are getting carpet bombed.

As for the blow down and fire affecting the water this is what I was told by a local who has been on the lake all of his life. First, he told me about a expert on water from a big college who did some water testing on Northern Lights and Sag and found the ph to be off, he thought that this was leading to low oxygen levels in the lake which supports the locals own speculation that all of the carbon left from the fire along with the rotting wood was washed into the lake the last couple of years. He specifically was referring to last year when the huge amounts of rain came, he said the water was discolored along the shoreline for quite awhile. He had also dropped cameras into schools of walleye that were staying out in the deep water when they usually are in shallow. He noted a lack of younger fish in the schools and they would not react to any type of lure brought through them. He thought they were acting lethargic. The last thing he commented to me on was that the fish he had caught were lacking body fat.
As for Sag being hammered, I haven't seen that. For the last three years all of the groups we have talked to have not been getting numbers. They all admit to catching hawgs, but not eaters. Back several years ago when Sag was producing wonderful stringers, I don't see how the limited amount of permits, and the amounts of fishermen we did see, could really affect a lake the size of Sag. I think the guides are very good about encouraging bigger fish being released. Even then if the guides boats and X amount of permitted boats allowed into Sag were taking daily limits, I don't see how those numbers could compare to the number of fish being taken out of a lake like Mille Lacs or Leach. So to be honest, from my observations, I really haven't seen anything that could allow me to say Sag has been overfished. Be it just a natural cycle of a lake, bass explosion, or something really is wrong with the water, I strongly believe that the young walleye population is way down, and I suspect the DNR feels the same if they are now stocking a historically strong naturally producing lake Like Sag.

Were they gonna stock fry or fingerlings? How have the water levels on the sea gull river been during the spawn? That would have an affect as well. I like the theory about the lack of oxygen, etc, from the fire. Has there been an increase in smelt numbers in the last few years? They would have much more of a negative affect on walleye numbers than an "explosion" in bass numbers.

tkettel, thanks for the post.


"If Sag is getting hammered the rest of the lakes in the state are getting carpet bombed."
Thanks for the chuckle Mark.

Mudcutter, with all due respect I have to disagree that Sag is getting hammered. Probably less pressure on this lake now and we're a time of one eye 20".