• Home
  • Book Your Stay
  • Lodging
    • Clearwater Cabins
    • Cabin Wait List Request
    • Clearwater Lodge Bed & Breakfast
    • Clearwater Bunkhouses
    • Winter Cabin Rentals
    • No Nightly Minimum Rentals
    • Resort Map
  • BWCA Outfitting
    • Full & Partial Outfitting Packages
    • Canoe, Kayak, Boat & Gear Rentals
    • Shuttles
    • Clearwater Bunkhouses
    • Canoe & Kayak Day Trips
    • BWCA Canoe Routes
      • Clearwater Main
      • Cross Bay-Poplar
      • East Bearskin Lake
      • Frost River
      • Knife Lake
      • Little Saganaga
      • Poplar-Ram
      • West Bearskin Border
    • BWCA Campsites
      • Alder Lake
      • Mountain Lake
      • Pine Lake
      • Rose Lake
      • Saganaga Lake
      • South Lake
      • West Pike & Gogebic
      • Winchell Lake
      • Banadad Lake
      • Caribou Lake(East)
      • Caribou Lake(West)
      • Clearwater Lake
      • Crystal and Pierz
      • Daniels Lake
      • Duncan Lake
      • Deer and Moon
      • East Pike Lake
      • Horseshoe Lake
      • John Lake
      • Little Trout and Ram Lakes
      • Misquah and Vista Lakes
      • Moose Lake
  • Activities
    • Canoe & Kayak Day Trips
    • Hiking Trails
    • Nature Watching
    • Fishing
    • Gunflint Trail
    • Museums
    • Fall & Winter
      • Fall at Clearwater
      • Winter Activities
  • Food & Retail
    • Bakery & Breakfast
    • Lodge Store
  • About Us
    • Lodge History
    • Employment – Join our Summer Staff!
    • FAQ
    • Helpful Resources
    • Photo Gallery
    • Clearwater Journal
  • Contact Us
Clearwater Historic Lodge & OutfittersClearwater Historic Lodge & Outfitters
Clearwater Historic Lodge & OutfittersClearwater Historic Lodge & Outfitters
  • Home
  • Book Your Stay
  • Lodging
    • Clearwater Cabins
    • Cabin Wait List Request
    • Clearwater Lodge Bed & Breakfast
    • Clearwater Bunkhouses
    • Winter Cabin Rentals
    • No Nightly Minimum Rentals
    • Resort Map
  • BWCA Outfitting
    • Full & Partial Outfitting Packages
    • Canoe, Kayak, Boat & Gear Rentals
    • Shuttles
    • Clearwater Bunkhouses
    • Canoe & Kayak Day Trips
    • BWCA Canoe Routes
      • Clearwater Main
      • Cross Bay-Poplar
      • East Bearskin Lake
      • Frost River
      • Knife Lake
      • Little Saganaga
      • Poplar-Ram
      • West Bearskin Border
    • BWCA Campsites
      • Alder Lake
      • Mountain Lake
      • Pine Lake
      • Rose Lake
      • Saganaga Lake
      • South Lake
      • West Pike & Gogebic
      • Winchell Lake
      • Banadad Lake
      • Caribou Lake(East)
      • Caribou Lake(West)
      • Clearwater Lake
      • Crystal and Pierz
      • Daniels Lake
      • Duncan Lake
      • Deer and Moon
      • East Pike Lake
      • Horseshoe Lake
      • John Lake
      • Little Trout and Ram Lakes
      • Misquah and Vista Lakes
      • Moose Lake
  • Activities
    • Canoe & Kayak Day Trips
    • Hiking Trails
    • Nature Watching
    • Fishing
    • Gunflint Trail
    • Museums
    • Fall & Winter
      • Fall at Clearwater
      • Winter Activities
  • Food & Retail
    • Bakery & Breakfast
    • Lodge Store
  • About Us
    • Lodge History
    • Employment – Join our Summer Staff!
    • FAQ
    • Helpful Resources
    • Photo Gallery
    • Clearwater Journal
  • Contact Us

BWCA Fishing

BWCA Fishing

BWCA Fishing

Posted by Clearwater Staff Uncategorized No Comments

Lake Trout Dreams

Over the years I have come to recognize Clearwater Lake as a fickle temptress for BWCA fishing.  Every spring afternoon she beckons me to continue my eternal investigation into the whereabouts of the furtive Lake Trout that call her waters home.  I have returned fish-less more times than I would like to divulge and every time the flames of desire dwindle a bit; the 35 pound trout hanging over the fireplace in the lodge never lets the embers die though, and once again I find myself walking down to the waterfront with rod in hand.

Clearwater Lake is long and winding with a couple of larger expanses of water on its east and west ends.  I decide to paddle out a ways and troll through the narrow mid-section of the lake in hopes of a lunker, or at the very least dinner.  Within minutes my shad-rap has snagged and I start back paddling.  Upon picking up my rod I notice a different sort of weight on the line.  I decide to set the hook and immediately my drag is buzzing and line is flying off my reel.  It must be a massive Lake Trout.  The fish slows and I gather myself and begin slowly working the beast back in.  It is dead weight at this point and it feels as if I’m hauling in a marlin.  I’ve managed to retrieve half my line when he decides to take another run and in an instant: nothing.

BWCA Fishing

There’s no let down more instantaneous than feeling that much weight vanish in a flash, and for a second I think I might cry.  As I wind in 50 yards of limp line I swear off fishing.  It really is a pointless endeavor I tell myself; a complete waste of time.  Screw that fish, I hope he chokes on that lure; it probably wasn’t that big anyway.  Who am I kidding, it was a monster, world record most likely, and I had to go and mess with the drag.  I’m an idiot; I’m a pathetic excuse for fisherman, a pathetic excuse for a man.  Take a deep breath, get a grip and know that it was only a fish.   As the sheared end of my pitifully flaccid line comes into view I pull out a new snap swivel and start thinking about possible lure selection.  I snap on a copper ¾ ounce daredevle spoon and flip it behind the canoe and continue trolling.  As I pick up speed the line goes taut.  Within minutes the rod tip twitches then quickly doubles over from the weight. The flames of desire burn white hot, and as I reach down to set the hook I think about all the times I’ve sworn off BWCA fishing.

No Comments
Share
5

You also might be interested in

Staying Warm During Your Winter Visit to the Boundary Waters

Staying Warm During Your Winter Visit to the Boundary Waters

Jan 17, 2018

Over the years in talking with people on a daily[...]

Spring Thoughts from the North Country

Spring Thoughts from the North Country

May 25, 2018

After an interminable winter that came on early and didn’t[...]

New Blog, Old Post

Feb 20, 2015

We have a new blog at Clearwater Historic Lodge and[...]

Leave a Reply

Your email is safe with us.
Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

What’s New

  • Great Summer Openings Still Available!
  • Northern Exposure…
  • Hiking the Devil Track River

Our Policies

  • Privacy Policy
  • Reservation Policies
  • Contact Us

Stay Connected

Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
YouTube

© 2025 · Clearwater Historic Lodge · Website by Altitude Marketing and Design

Prev Next