Ice fishing Friday: Chasing giant lake trout on northern Saskatchewan’s remote Cree Lake

On our second morning, we wake to up a carbon copy of the previous morning’s freezing temperatures. So, instead of leaving our cabin before daylight, we wait an hour for it to warm up a little before heading out to a different location.

With the extreme flood ice, it takes us nearly an hour to drill several holes, then set up the tent, heater and other gear before finally lowering our lines into the water. We instantly begin marking bigger fish at 27 to 29 feet, but the bite is slower than normal, something the other return guests had noted the night before at the lodge.

Guest Clay Charlton, for example, has been coming to ice fish on Cree for many years. He raved about the many unbelievable days he’s had icing trout topping 30 pounds, but tempered his enthusiasm with a qualifier, saying it was the slowest fishing he’s ever seen on Cree. Such is ice fishing for lake trout.

With that, we put in our time, and it finally pays off late in the morning. Just when the blank screen on my flasher suggests we should we move, I suddenly see a mark. In an instant, my line goes snug and it’s game on! Words can’t properly describe the immense power of these big fish, pushing my medium-heavy-action ice rod to its limits—it’s literally bent right over. My reel is spooled with braid and a 10-foot leader of 30-pound fluorocarbon, so I’m just praying my knots will hold.

Twenty minutes pass, and the big trout has now taken five substantial runs after first smashing my chartreuse tube jig tipped with a slice of frozen cisco. Finally, I see bubbles coming up the ice hole. Careful not to overplay the fish, I let it take line when it wants to until I’m eventually able to gently bring it to the surface and Randy swoops in for the assist. What a specimen! Wasting no time, we carefully take a few quick photos, then guide the fish back into the water. With an almost immediate flip of its tail, another Cree Lake trout returns to the depths to be caught another day.

In the hopes of soon repeating the action, Randy also ties on a cisco-tipped tube jig, drops it to the bottom, then begins to jig and reel subtly to work the water column. An hour or so later, he gets a bite and starts reeling, bringing the fish half way up the water column—before it spits the hook. It seems we’ll have to work for our trout on this trip.

Sure enough, the bite continues to be slow over our remaining day and a half of fishing. I do manage to land another lunker, though, further ensuring at least one thing—making good on my chance at redemption on Cree Lake.

Alberta contributor Kevin Wilson already has plans to return to Cree Lake this spring.

CREE LAKE PLANNER

A remote wilderness ice-fishing adventure requires detailed planning. When snowmobiles are your lifeline, and getting stranded is a real possibility, it’s imperative to build in contingency plans and bring the appropriate gear. Obviously, you can only take so much. If you’re planning a DIY adventure, camping gear will be in order. Remember that whatever shelter you plan to stay in, it must be able to withstand intense weather conditions. A substantial heat source is also essential. If you plan to stay at one of the two main lodges on Cree, as we did, you can scale down a bit on the gear.

SLED A covered sled is a must. I use a mid-sized trapper’s sled, which has just enough space to carry an auger (with an extension), spare battery, multiple rods, tackle, bait, cold-weather survival gear, sleeping bag, food and the necessary fuel. Fuel requirements should be carefully calculated based on your anticipated mileage. Always take extra, especially if you plan to cover a lot of water.

COMMUNICATION Even though many of today’s cell phones have satellite capabilities, I recommend a dedicated satellite communication device, such as an InReach with mapping options. You just never know.

LODGING If winter camping is not for you, staying at Garrett’s Broken Arrow Lodge is an excellent option. Brian is a great guy, and he’s built an exceptional facility for ice fishing—complete with snowmobile rentals—that operates for a limited number of guests during the early spring weeks of March 1 to April 15. The lodge’s primary focus is hosting open-water anglers from June 5 to October 1 each year, complete with a fly-in service.

Learn more about Broken Arrow Lodge at www.fishcreelake.com.