Montreal River Near Elk Lake Report.

[James77]

Hey guys,

I'm curious if anyone has some insight to this system and potentially why the lack of fish we experienced?

 

We stayed at Twin Bear camp, it was an amazing price booked by a guy in our group after some financial hardships, I think it's $310 for boat rental, tank of gas, and a weeks stay in a cabin.

The cabins were beautiful, the boats were in tip top shape, we fished out of a misty river with a 20 Yamaha that started with a quarter pull every time.

 

It's a very deep river varying from 30-65 feet, very little shoreline because it just drops off so quick.

 

We were targeting Pike casting at the shorelines. Occasionally the fish finder would beep and alert me of a school of fish on the bottom, I'd throw on small jigs with twister tails, gulp minnows, everything I could and could not get a single Jig bite.

Over 3 days of hard fishing, and about 4 tanks of gas later we decided to head back to the cottage because we knew we could catch a lot more, and a lot bigger fish there.

We tried everything, and I basically almost lost the will to fish.

 

All in all maybe 7 small pike were landed, biggest being 28"? 0 walleye, 1 perch, 3 bass for our group of 4.

 

The river is some of the most beautiful, picturesque land I've ever seen, amazing weed structure, beautiful bays in some nearby lakes. Nothing produced.

 

I'm curious as to why the fishing was so bad? Is it overfished and too many fish harvested? No stocking?

 

We had good luck at the cottage and got on the walleye and musky bite in no time.

 

 

Are we terrible at fishing or is there no fish?

 

James

Edited July 28, 2015 by James77

[woodenboater]

$310 all in is an amazing price, if the bite is on. Actually, if the scenery is as great as it shod be, it'd still be worth it. Although I think you mean Elk Lake and not Elliot Lake

 

As for the pike or lack of, I've never found them on walls that drop straight down. All have been in weed beds or near pencil reeds. I can see pickerel and bass hanging at the drops and jigging shld work. Did you try trolling along the steep shoreline ?

[James77]

Thanks, I did mean Elk lake haha.

The price was amazing, we paid an extra $50 to get a upgraded bigger boat with a flat floor, they were super comfortable to fish out of.

The downside is there were two "hotspots" both were about 30 minutes either direction. We burned up a crazy amount of gas.

 

We did find a few lakes with weedbeds and pencil weeds, and they were surprisingly vacant of even hammer handle pike.

 

We did try trolling along shoreline, along the middle, everywhere and different depths. Couldn't make it happen.

 

I wish the bite was on as we would have gone back year after year.

 

In hindsight, Mike Borger suggested a trip that I would have loved to have done, but some of the other guys didn't know if they could afford it .

 

It was $640 for a ATV in to a previous fly in only trip in the Chapleau region. I think we will make that trip happen next year if not another fly in.

After all the gas and everything we ended up being closer to $540 for this spot.

[Rod Caster]

The Montreal River is a highly manipulated waterway and, if I'm not mistaken or have been lied to, has seen it's fair share of contamination from various sources. My guess is, it's not a very productive (and maybe unhealthy) waterway. It certainly sounds beautiful however! The price for the week is great, knowing that the fishing isn't great, you could skip on the boat and basically camp at a lodge for super cheap. I may look into that for the family as tenting isn't very fun with a 1 year old.

 

Check out the Fish Consumption Guide for the lower Montreal (Notch Lake)... They recommend 0 pike from 28 to 30 inches for the general population. Not a good sign of the water quality!

[Gnote]

Honestly man there is some good pike fishing in that area just not on the river itself, ive fished a few of the lakes up there but its usually better in the spring and fall.

In the future stay on a lake and dont be afraid to try a couple different lakes while you are there.

[Nipfisher]

The Top 50 Pike series hosts a tourney there each year. There are still plenty of pike and bass in the area, I have heard to target the islands rather than shorelines.

[adolson]

I live very close to the Montreal, but not near Elk Lake, so the spots where I have fished are obviously not representative of the entire stretch - it's a bloody LONG river (over 200km)! That being said, I've fished it in 6 different spots (including a lake that is part of the system) many times, from shore and from a canoe. It used to be OK fishing for bass and pike, but nothing super big... And over the past 4 years or so, I find the fishing got worse and worse. I've also fished it far less since taking a liking to trout instead, but the few times I've gone in the last couple years have been nothing but disappointment. Only reason I'll go now is if a friend wants to go, and refuses to fish anywhere else (yes, I have one like that).

[solopaddler]

 

In hindsight, Mike Borger suggested a trip that I would have loved to have done, but some of the other guys didn't know if they could afford it .

 

It was $640 for a ATV in to a previous fly in only trip in the Chapleau region. I think we will make that trip happen next year if not another fly in.

After all the gas and everything we ended up being closer to $540 for this spot.

 

 

 

 

 

(there are other options besides the one I mentioned to you in that price range as well)

[Headhunter]

Did you use live bait?

My experience fishing that area was that if you didn't give them meat to chew on, you were going to be hard pressed to get a bite.

For us, fishing up stream of Elk Lake, on the river, jig and a worm produced but mostly, just before sun set.

HH

[DanD]

I spent last week on the Montreal River just East of the town of Elk Lake. Fished from the camp, down stream all the way to Mountain cutes and it was great fishing. I don't think there are any real trophies to be had; with most pike being in the 20" + range, the largest for the week was 36". The numbers were great though; it was nothing to catch 30 or 40 fish during the course of the day. The walleye were a little tougher; you had to be on your spot before day break; an hour after sun up and you're wasting your time. Same for the the evening fish, be there an hour before dark, any earlier was a waste of time. The bite was so soft that I usually fished with an open bail and let the fish start taking line before setting the hook. It wasn't hard to limit out with 14-16" eaters, with a bunch released that were in the slot. I think the largest caught was 22", took a couple pictures and back it went. If there's anything wrong with eating fish from that section of the Montreal; you sure couldn't tell from the taste.

http://www.elklakewilderness.com/home

I'm the third guy from the right in the group shot. Yea the one with the flour all over his blue shirt; from making up the beer batter. LOL

 

Dan.

 

[Randy S]

Hey guys,

I'm curious if anyone has some insight to this system and potentially why the lack of fish we experienced?

 

We stayed at Twin Bear camp, it was an amazing price booked by a guy in our group after some financial hardships, I think it's $310 for boat rental, tank of gas, and a weeks stay in a cabin.

 

The cabins were beautiful, the boats were in tip top shape, we fished out of a misty river with a 20 Yamaha that started with a quarter pull every time.

 

It's a very deep river varying from 30-65 feet, very little shoreline because it just drops off so quick.

 

We were targeting Pike casting at the shorelines. Occasionally the fish finder would beep and alert me of a school of fish on the bottom, I'd throw on small jigs with twister tails, gulp minnows, everything I could and could not get a single Jig bite.

 

Over 3 days of hard fishing, and about 4 tanks of gas later we decided to head back to the cottage because we knew we could catch a lot more, and a lot bigger fish there.

 

We tried everything, and I basically almost lost the will to fish.

 

All in all maybe 7 small pike were landed, biggest being 28"? 0 walleye, 1 perch, 3 bass for our group of 4.

 

The river is some of the most beautiful, picturesque land I've ever seen, amazing weed structure, beautiful bays in some nearby lakes. Nothing produced.

 

I'm curious as to why the fishing was so bad? Is it overfished and too many fish harvested? No stocking?

 

We had good luck at the cottage and got on the walleye and musky bite in no time.

 

 

Are we terrible at fishing or is there no fish?

 

James

James if you are looking for large pike and walleye next time cross the dam into Lady Evelyn lake. I fish Lady Evelyn all the time huge pike walleye and small mouth bass.

[Handlebarz]

We would go up yearly to golden eagle camp and always did good for the eyes pike and SM finding pike with the weeds or logs the eyes off rock points and deeper drop offs.

 

With the eyes you had to be right on the spot if they were on a 13' shelf and you were fishing the 8' or 16' one you would not catch them very picky but lots to go around when you figured them out.

 

Spinner baits best for pike or copper with orange stripes spoon