Brown water creeks and tributaries, Fish and tactics?

My family's place is near the south shore, and there is a pretty well established creek I have questions about. The creek has a pretty consistent few feet of depth, that flows through a long stretch of a marshy meadow in the back country, eventually to down hill "waterfall" a few hundred meters long and into the lake. That water is awfully brown and really mineral rich. I've carried my fishing pole up to that meadow a handful of times and tossed things like a rooster tails, and even a simple bobber and worm, and always came up empty before the bugs chased me out.

Have this crowd ever had luck with some of that brown water, or is the water quality likely too rich and dissolved oxygen too low? Or maybe it's just my bait and approach?

Have you ever gone to the source of the creek. There is so many small lakes up there the brown water is probably from there. And the water being brown can be minerals but most of the colour will definitely be caused by organic material. I have a several very small lakes near my house. Some are clear, some are a bit stained. But there are two that look like dark tea, you can't see past 20 inches. There is still fish there though, a variety of minnows, catfish pumpkinseed. Look On google earth, see if you can find where the small lake is that feeds the creek. There will be the answers you are looking for. Fish or no fish.

I know the creek you speak of and have bear hunted back in there. The creek actually drains a decent size area and splits into at least six or seven smaller feeder creeks starting about a mile upstream. It mostly drains a decent size swamp area but there are several beaver ponds on the feeder creeks. Those ponds do not have a lot of open areas to fish and are mostly covered in lilies and other vegetation but there is the odd patch of open water.

Agree with Cman that most of the brown color is from organic rotten vegetation (tannins and lignins) as opposed to minerals. Bushwhacking up that creek would be hell given the swampy conditions.

There are perch,pike and bass sprinkled around but never seen any walleye once you get away from the main lake.

There are some ATV trails off the Sand Lake Road and/or the South River Road that cross into the creek water shed from the west and south that are mostly the domain of the hunt camps sprinkled around back in there. Ultimately you could probably follow that creek inland for 5 miles if you were real dedicated.

Myself i only head in there for bear.

Thanks for the reply Crappeee. You're right, it is surely organic matter. I suppose I lumped that into the category of "minerals" but see how that can isn't the most accurate. When I look at the google maps, it doesn't ever source directly from a small lake, but a big watershed of wetlands with a few small ponds nearby. I suppose I'll quit hoping for a monster living up there hidden away from everything, and stick to the assumption of minnows. I appreciate you sharing your experiences.

Thanks Species, I have muscled a kayak up that trail to the start of the waterfall and paddled as far back as I could, maybe a half mile (+/-). I then ran into a dense grass that cut off my trip and I wasn't much preparred to portage the soggy mats, and turned around. I spooked a couple of really big deer, sandhill cranes and a momma bear and cubs (from a fair distance).

Yeah, it's organic matter that I misnamed minerals... thanks for the correction.

Someday I'll take the adventure on those ATV trails, but so far it's all been access from the lake and up until recently (3 or 4 years), our friends owned those red cabins that sit in the bay, giving us a little more freedom to explore.

I suppose I'll save my hopes for a surprise big fish for the lake and leave the gear back at the dock next time.

Thanks for chiming in. I'll be at the island 9/1-9/6, god and COVID willing. Would be nice to put a face to a name if you're able to drop in.

Would love to drop in. Not sure if i'm around on those dates as work evolves almost daily. The other issue is my open water ability on Nip is limited and the last few miles into your place are pretty exposed to the big water. My current boat is only 12 foot 8 inches with a 15 horse on it. I would have to be very certain of the weather/wind conditions before i tried that run. I fish the crap out of the hard water season and am set up with all gear and lake travel sleds but come soft water i am more a of a drag the boat into smaller back lakes kinda guy or better yet canoe in somewhere.