Ice and Snow conditions on Whiteswan/Whelan Bay

[Trout Slayer306]

Hey guys, I have lurked here for the past couple of years and got tons of great info from you guys, just never got around to making a post. I am heading out to Whiteswan lake next weekend and was wondering what the ice and snow conditions are like. Are people driving across the lake or should I be bringing a snowmobile to get to where I need to go? Thanks for the help!

[sandman66]

Last time I was there was well before Christmas and there was a ****load of snow then. These days it must be bottomless.

[SaskWatch]

I was out there 3 weeks ago. People were still driving around. There is a good trail right off the boat launch but the tracks go in several directions so really depends where you want to get to. I was driving my Cherokee around, but it has a little lift and good tires. I could go anywhere, but there is a decent amount of snow. What part of the lake were you hoping to get to?

[Trout Slayer306]

Thanks for the help guys. I was hoping to get to the north west corner of the lake. Would rather drive there but could take the sled if I have to. How was the fishing when you were there?

[SaskWatch]

I saw some trucks heading over that way when I was up, but not sure how far they went. That's the furthest possible location from the boat launch, so not sure how many actually make it back there. I was just fishing out front of the cabins, in abuot 70 ft of water. Saw a few on the flasher that were right on the bottom but only managed to catch one that was suspended further up in the water column. Talked to a few people that said they were having pretty good luck around the narrows. But there is usually a pretty big pressure ridge out there. We have fished this side of that ridge before in 90 ft and manged quite a few, nothing of size. I have never ice fished that corner where you want to get to, although we did some trolling this summer and noticed an under water ridge that runs quite far out into the lake. It's decieving that you are so far from shore and it was only 30-40ft. It would explain why I've see Ice shacks in that area and was wondering who would have been fishing in the middle of the lake.
I marked it on my GPS and will probably try that area yet this summer.
Do you fish right in that bay to the North West? Past Maistre Lake and where the dive bell is located?

[Trout Slayer306]

I have never actually fished the lake before, just looked at a map of the lake and thought it might be a good place to try. I may just drive along drilling holes until i mark fish on the flasher in front of the cabins.

[Jaguarxjsport]

What are the conditions like?
Are the fish biting?
I am going to the lake in first 2 weeks in march , please let me know what it is like and how you go on.
John.

[SaskWatch]

What are the conditions like?
Are the fish biting?
I am going to the lake in first 2 weeks in march , please let me know what it is like and how you go on.
John.

I am going up to the cabin, next weeked (Feb 15th) I can give you a full report on Monday night or Tuesday. Havent' been up there in a month and expecting I will have a lot of shovelling to do just to get at the quad so I can clear out my driveway.

[Jaguarxjsport]

Hi Saskwatch, I did hear that they had another snow fall last week of 2and a half feet, I hope you get some good results,like I say I will be over in march , I am itching to get on the ice , but for now I go to work 
Have a great time, I hope you catch well.
John.

[SaskWatch]

Whiteswan is a long way to go for some lake trout, especially if you are coming from England! Guess the rumours that the Queen gets her trout from Whiteswan must be true. Hopefully you will catch enough to bring her back a few.

[Jaguarxjsport]

Hi there Saskwatch, I have relations in BC, Alberta and Sask, which means I get invited over, and if I get the chance to fish then why not, I just hope I get some nice trout. As for the queen, yes I have herd that she gets her trout from whiteswan lake, though not sure when or how often. I would love to bring some back if I can.
John.

[SaskWatch]

Well, I will let you know how we do this weekend. I will also ask around and see how everyone else is making out. Have you fished Whiteswan before? There is also some brook trout fishing to be had on Maistre lake which is pretty much attached to Whiteswan. It used to be really great fishing, but last year was slow. I will include that in my report as well.

[Jaguarxjsport]

I have fished whiteswan before, I just like the place, we don't have anything like it here in the UK. I hope you have a great weekend. Thank you for the info.
John.

[SaskWatch]

Do you just go up for the day or do you know someone that has a cabin up there? Let me know when you are going up and if I am around I can take you to the fish if you don't have a snowmobile or know anyone from Whiteswan.

[Jaguarxjsport]

I will be going to a fishing hut on the lake with my relation, I don't know what date exactly or how many days, we will decide that when I get there. He has a snowmobile to get out on the lake. We stay in a log cabin while we are there. I am just itching to get out there, I would like to know what lures seem to be working on the fish.

[mxzwalleyeman]

How's the snow conditions? I assume by snowmobile only on the lake, but is it easy going?

[SaskWatch]

Heading up this weekend. I will let you know. I imagine there to too much snow to travel on the lake with a vehicle, unless there is a well beaten trail. And then you would be limited to where the tracks take you. I was up a month ago and my lifted Cherokee made it around on the lake but had to keep my speed up.

[mxzwalleyeman]

Thanks Sask. I appreciate any info. I heard that many northern lakes have large amounts of slush, such that even snowmobiles are getting stuck. With my bum shoulder and an 11 yr old as my partner I do not want to be the next victim all by my lonesome!

[SaskWatch]

Which Northern lakes were you hearing were having slush problems? Whiteswan sometimes has flood water, but mainly close to shores where there is spring activity. The main part of the lake is usually really good. I would think the smaller lakes would be the ones to watch out for slush on. But I will give you guys a full report on Monday night or Tuesday sometime.

[SaskWatch]

Thanks Sask. I appreciate any info. I heard that many northern lakes have large amounts of slush, such that even snowmobiles are getting stuck. With my bum shoulder and an 11 yr old as my partner I do not want to be the next victim all by my lonesome!

Good news is that we didn't come across any slush at all. We drove the sleds across candle (south to north) then on the trails up to Whiteswan. Didn't see any slush on Whiteswan either. Bad news? You won't be driving a truck on any lakes up in those parts. There is way too much snow. I even got my snow machine stuck, as I still had the trailer hooked up and didn't pack the snow before parking it. Took some shoveling to get it out, as my fishing partner disappeared.
I only managed to land one laker, and lost two more. Although I did see a lot on the flasher, all were on the bottom, at 90 ft and the only way to get them to bite was to get them to slowly follow the hook off the bottom until they were several feet up.
Hope you guys are having better luck, but it was still a lot of fun. Just too bad Saturday's weather did hold out for one more day.

[Jaguarxjsport]

I have just spent a week at whiteswan lake, I saw no slush and we had some wonderful days, one day of blowing snow and drifting. However, apparently there was some slush at the edges of the lake in some places.
It did not deter me from my time there.

[sandman66]

Did you fish? How was it?

[Jaguarxjsport]

Hi Sandman, yes I did fish, it was hit and miss, some days they were biting, the others they were not,I did hear that different areas if the lake were catching in different days .
Here is the pic if the best fish I caught, it was on a Saturday when most people were up there, I got lucky I guess with quite a few on the lake.
I hope you have some good luck.
John.

[Water Wolf]

Cheers Jaguarxjsport, since you came all this way to ice fish, good to read that you had quite a few fish.
That is a nice lake trout you found there.

I have yet to try for lake trout through the ice, but, it's on my to do list.

WW

[Jaguarxjsport]

Has anyone been on whiteswan lake as yet? I know it is early December but I did hear a whisper that some if the huts are going on the lake.
Let me know if anyone is out there.
Many thanks.
John.

[adipose]

Has anyone been on whiteswan lake as yet? I know it is early December but I did hear a whisper that some if the huts are going on the lake.
Let me know if anyone is out there.
Many thanks.
John.

I was on the lk. about a week or more ago. They were just starting to drive with snow machines/quads only. There was 9 inches of good ice every where. I suspect there must be more ice by now as we were on before this cold mass hit. Hope this helps.

[Jaguarxjsport]

Looks like it is getting colder there,I did hear there was roughly 19 inches of snow on top as well, I shall see what my relations say, I will be back there in March 2014 , I just hope the fish will be biting when I turn up.

[DBK81]

Looks like it is getting colder there,I did hear there was roughly 19 inches of snow on top as well, I shall see what my relations say, I will be back there in March 2014 , I just hope the fish will be biting when I turn up.

Although that area did get a large amount of snow early, most of it fell on open water, so there is not much snow on the ice at all.

[Jaguarxjsport]

Has anyone been on whiteswan recently? What is happening on there ? What are the conditions like?
I hope to be there in march for a week.
John.

[jigapoolza]

My buddies were out there 2 weeks ago . Fishing was slow and they could,nt drive on .Not much snow on the lake just blown in too much at the launch to get on with 4x4 .