- McLeister lake trophy pike
| Typical of the lakes in this area, McLeister Lake is a small, shallow lake made up of two distinct basins – the outpost camp being situated on the more westerly portion. While distinct, both basins offer excellent, though differing angling opportunities. | |
| The western basin is a shallow (less than 20 feet, but typically 6 to 12 feet), soft-bottomed basin with a large central sand / reed bank surrounded by “cabbage” in 5 to 8 feet of water. Friday Creek, a great early-season walleye hotspot in its own rite and navigable for several miles upstream, flows into this end of the lake.The eastern basin of McLeister Lake features a rugged, rock-strewn shoreline which falls quickly into deeper water (12 to 18 feet). There are some soft-bottomed sections – the extreme south-easterly bay in particular. A few scattered cabbage weedbeds offer excellent fishing, as do a few rock outcroppings, mid-lake humps, and the connecting channel. | |
| Walleyes are the drawing card at McLeister, but the lake has plenty of northerns, including a few giants – fish in the 20+ pound range. McLeister walleyes are pretty much “weed walleyes” and can be caught by trolling weedlines or ripping twistertail jigs through the sparse cabbage weedbeds. When fishing a weedbed, work from the outside, in. Cast around the perimeter, troll the breakline / weedline, and then move into the thickest parts of the weedbed. | |
| Not surprisingly, McLeister pike are weed-oriented and the reed bank, the river mouth bar, fast-breaking shorelines, rocky points and cabbage weedbeds hold most of the fish. Spoons, spinnerbaits, in-line spinners, body baits, topwater plugs, buzzbaits and jigs will all catch McLeister Lake’s aggressive northerns | |
