Lake Kabetogoma, Minnesota

[Lunkers0]

I'm taking a week long trip to Lake Kabetogoma in September.  Does anyone have any good spots to try? What has been your "hot lure" in the past? Thanks in advance.

[NBR]

I fished adjoining Namakan for nearly 25 years until both my move to New Hampshire followed by the resort I stayed with closing. A long term pal from my days on Namakan has gone to Kab and stayed on the Ash River for at least 2 years. He claims that the smallmouth fishing on Kab is not nearly as good as Namakan. I can't comment on this since I have never fished Kab.

If you are on the east end of Kab you can run into Namakan easily. The area around Wolf Pack Island has been productive. I was always on Namakan the first, second or third weeks of June. Some times for two weeks and I stayed on the east end on the Canadian side. If heaven is like Namakan in June I won't mind being there.

During our trips small minnow baits, read Ralala's, Bomber long A's. surface poppers particuarly in white, jigs and grubs, tubes and in later years Senko's and their knockoffs. Spinner baits for some reason were not productive but them after the first few years I just never used a spinner bait. i.e. If it works don't fix it.

If you go to www.fishingminnesota.com  and scroll down to the local lakes section on Kabtogama, Namakan, Sand Point  you will get more information than you'll ever need.

The north side of Namakan in in Ontario and the south side in MN.  MN has a C&R regulation in the fall to which I heartily suscribe.

I wish I was still close enough but my last few trips were 1936 miles one way. With my towing mileage at around 13mpg I don't think I could afford the trip today.

[Chode2235]

You can do pretty well fishing rock piles and big boulders near shore and the numerous islands.

I have had good luck throwing crankbairs and bouncing them off the boulders.

I have also had good luck 'calling' them.  Which is when you take a really bright shallow crank or spinnerbait and run it shallow over the structure.  Those curious and competitive smallmouth will come up and smash it.

Nam is a great lake too, and much more out of the way so the fish are much less pressured.  The biggest challenge that I have with those two lakes is that they are so huge.  Do some research and pick a smaller subsection of the lake and concentrate on that.

The fishing should be good and the mosquitos shouldnt be too bad.  Sounds like a great trip.

[Lunkers0]

Thank you both! I'll be sure to let you know how we do when I get home.  

[NBR]

Lunkers0

If you would like whne you have a map of Namakan shoot me an email and I'll try to inform you of some June spots. You can fish the Ontario side but you must have a remote border pass and an Ontario liscense.

The best map of both Kab and Namakan I got from the Minnesota state library. The are both large with a lot of detail and show the entire lake with hydrographic lines which some other maps don't. The draw back is that they are on blue print paper and you need to keep them dry. I kept them folded in a zip lock bag and they held up for years.