mew lake algonquin, anyone fished it

[hdwh]

going up next summer to mew lake and was wondering if anyone has fished at if so what could I expect to catch there

[Dinky]

Used to camp there with my parents 40 years ago....never caught much other than pan fish...but that was long ago....was our favourite place...wonder if Charlie the chipmunk is still there...lol
Enjoy
Greg

[fisherboy]

Went there this October didn't catch anything apparently there's nothing but Sunnies and perch, if youre there try the madawaska river that runs through the campsite , it holds trout

[Stevicide]

I've never fished Mew Lake, but if that's your campground of choice, pack your hiking boots and head up the trail into Provoking Lake. It's stocked with splake. Check the regs for open seasons though as Algonquin has a bunch of exceptions compared to the rest of the zone.

Anytime I've fished it has been early spring after ice out shortly after they open. Since it would be a fairly epic portage in there we have always just shore fished and done quite well.

Best of luck.

2/5 oz little cleo in any colour ftw. You can cast those things a mile from shore.

[Stevicide]

Oh yeah and pack a lunch... Its probably a 5km hike each way from the campground so make a day trip of it.

[bassassasian101]

Dude, seriously don't waste your time... if your going to exert all the effort of camping, spending all that money on gas and camping arrangements etc.. Don't go to a lake that has been fished to critical levels.

I have spent week long trips as a teen on almost every hwy 60 corridor lake. Mew lake is probably one of my least favorite next to tea and coon.

There is smallies there i guarantee it. But the pressure on this small lake has been so relentless that they bolt as soon as they see your shadow or as your canoe casts a wake against the shoreline. After spending 7 days on that lake 5 years ago i figured out how to catch them. Its very difficult and can be frustrating not a fishing technique to have your kids tag along because they will leave skunked.

1) only fish as the sun is rising/falling or night..yes night.

2) fluorocarbon is your best friend 6 lb max.

3) distance yourself from your casting destination as far as possible while still remaining accurate.

4) try not to rock your canoe or smack your paddles around the gunnels.

** if you mess up steps 3-4 pack up and go cook some marshmallows cause that's all you will be fire roasting that night. Literally you cannot exist. Ill be it, night you have more leeway.

5) two lures i have found to work when all else failed. size #0 Mepps Aglia gold and the 4 inch Rapala Jointed original black top silver/white bottom.`

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So basically as the sun is real low and the sky is dim the water is usually glass in those lakes. Quietly and slowly make your way around the perimeter of the lake on your canoe no closer than 50 ft to the shore line. Stealthly, casting at points, stumps, boulders, rock walls, basically every place that could hide a bass against the shore. All the bass I have ever caught there were caught right up against the shore line where the drop off went from 1 to 4 plus ft. almost instantly. The shallows isn't shallow for long unless your by a beachy portion of the lake just cruise by that stopping at the beach transition point.

I wouldnt waste time with a bunch of lures if I were going to algonquin for a trip it would be a box of cleos, a box of aglias, and a box of jointed rapalas. Thats all I need there. You will know which of the lures to use pretty quick. If the fish are jumping around you put on the jointed orignial and cast it say half a foot from a stump against the shore line and let it sit there floating.

Wait for the wake around the lure to totally dissipate. (If there is a fish there it won't lose the attention while you wait. It will build excitement for the fish and helps trigger a bite). They are very cautious and alot of times will ignore foreign food signatures. Now once the water has returned to glass, slowly reel your lure back in at a pace where your lure slowly waves its tail back and forth but doesn't dip under there waters surface. The lure to you will look like a sick or dying fish slowly swimming across the top of the water disoriented. If you want to spice it up every 5 ft retrieve add a light tap of the rod that will dunk the lure under the water slightly and roll back to position as it breaks the surface again. This mocks a dying fishes twitch.

Do this slow tedious retrieve all the way back to the boat not breaking your cover try the spot once more then move to the next spot, Quiet and stealth like an assasian. I guarantee fish will hit that lure and surprie you with the amount of bass still in there. They are in hiding and the loud and awkward unprepared angler is an easy warning for the fish hidden in the quite and pristine waters to leave.

Strategy #2 Mepps Aglia

This works only in specific spots although the mepps works everywhere, it works here particularly well. Find a rock wall or a drop off cast out your mepps aglia tipped with a work put the worm on all the treble barbs. Cast it down into the drop of and let it hit the bottom counting how long it takes. Reel it back up then cast it back into the same spot and count down to a a couple seconds before you counted bottom. So you can estimate it is a foot or so off bottom. Then slowly reel your Aglia back just fast enough that you can feel the spinning blades resistance. That always nails bass as well especially once you get the hang of judging depth. If you can spin that mepps a foot of the bottom the fish will come.

We had old couples see us fishing and say oh we have been here every summer for X odd years. And we haven't seen anything caught here beside pumpkin seed and bluegills. Then the look on there face when we come back that night with a couple 3-4 lb small mouth... priceless.

Although, I will re instate it is not easy! We would have given up on that lake 4 hours in on the first day. If my mom had not dropped u off and wouldn't be returning for seven days. We learned the lake watched listened to the loud slapping fish at night. We couldn't believe there was no fish so we tried everything in our fishing boxes all day long for seven days and by the end we came up with a method for these "fished out lake" Hug the shoreline, light baits light floro lines, and quiet as a thief in the night. Water is clear enough you can see the small mouth book off as you approach. I've seen it a couple times but those were the rare times I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse.

In short, its possible but difficult. If I can recommend you go to rock lake it not far from mew and on the corridor. It holds a good population of small mouth and trout although difficult to catch them. I have and they are there. There is also easy access to white fish lake through the river by the RV side which holds lake trout. There is also a trail to Gordon lake about 2 km in but stuffed with bass. I would recommend a blow up boat for an easy portage the lake is small. There is also pen lake at the far side of the lake its a small portage and hold trout and monster perch.

tight lines!
Bassassasian101