SCHROON LAKE and Surrounding Ponds Thread

[lockdown199]

Anyone fish for smelt on schooner? If so what are you using for bait.

[Jkrum10238]

Good report! Headed up Friday thru Monday as well with two buddies if interested in fishing together.

Headed up too, hoping to get on our first lakers. sat and sunday are free fishing days FYI

[Adironzach]

They eat halis and spikes but they run small on scroon they are ****censored word****ing paved usually in the narrows around the channel

I will second this. I mostly fish the narrows when im on schroon, but ive noticed a good number of smelt schools whenever im up there. Small hali jigs or tiny tungsten (both tipped with spikes) are what ive had the most success with when ive caught them. I imagine an perch eye would work well too if you dont have spikes 

[lowaccord66]

Ive used a bait net and scooped them at the hole.  Go predawn and have some shanty lights.  They will come.  They are usually pretty small.

[SSmokinn SS]

Any trophy sized pike caught yet?

[Hayner12578]

Heading up Friday.  Don't have a machine so will be hoofing it.  Can anyone tell me how the ice is and how much snow cover.   Reall y appreciate it.  Long ride up to not get out. Thanks and good luck!

[lockdown199]

Was up there last week and had a couple of inches of snow on top of a solid 8 of ice. Not sure about how much snow on top now since a couple of fronts went through. Also I was up on the northern part of the lake so not sure about ice down south.

[hardwaterhonkey]

Heading up Friday.  Don't have a machine so will be hoofing it.  Can anyone tell me how the ice is and how much snow cover.   Reall y appreciate it.  Long ride up to not get out. Thanks and good luck!

Can’t tell you about snow was on another lake last weekend but on schroon every weekend since December b4 that you’ll have no problem anywhere on foot the south ends got plenty of ice on it as well as the narrows and north end lots of guys with utvs wheelers and sleds

[hardwaterhonkey]

Any trophy sized pike caught yet?

Only a 36” and a 40” that I know of never got weights saw both fish, tho was laker fishing close and heard the hoots and hollers and went over to check it out when 6 guys are around one hole and then all screaming with a fish as half as long as them you know it’s decent!

[SchrnLker]

Heading up Friday.  Don't have a machine so will be hoofing it.  Can anyone tell me how the ice is and how much snow cover.   Reall y appreciate it.  Long ride up to not get out. Thanks and good luck!

Last Friday we had 15" snow, then it got mild so it didn't blow off. What tracks you can see from shore all have water and slush in them. One local I talked with this morning said he went out hauling a jet sled, was so miserable he turned around and went home!

[Hayner12578]

Thanks guys  Appreciate it

[lakerman]

where the pike in the narrows?

[lowaccord66]

where the pike in the narrows?

 Did I miss a memo where people were coughing up trophy pike spots for everyone to see on the www?   

[pikemanEd]

where the pike in the narrows?

I would guess in the water 

[SSmokinn SS]

Only a 36” and a 40” that I know of never got weights saw both fish, tho was laker fishing close and heard the hoots and hollers and went over to check it out when 6 guys are around one hole and then all screaming with a fish as half as long as them you know it’s decent!

They keep the 40”?

[SSmokinn SS]

I was on paradox last Sunday with my son. -16 when we got there... conditions were nasty! 10” of fresh snow ontop of 4” of standing water! I was forced to fish right infront of the launch, because my 6x6 was literally freezing up from the standing water and super cold temps. First time for that... I watched 8 different guys walk about 50-100’ out pulling a sled, and then say forget this and turn around and leave.

[hardwaterhonkey]

They keep the 40”?

yup sadly both gaffed

[SSmokinn SS]

yup sadly both gaffed

Darn. I hate thAt.

Isn’t gaffing illegal here, in Essex county?

[hot tuna]

We gaffed a 42 " pike once on ice  in Essex county.  It was an awesome day.
There are good populations in many larger bodies of water that's totally underutilized.  To harvest and consume a fish is sportsmanship.  To kill a fish just for the purpose of skin mounts is more self serving.  If you are a c&r fisher more power but it's a game harvest sport.

Bow fishing carp is gross too

[lowaccord66]

Darn. I hate thAt.

Isn’t gaffing illegal here, in Essex county?

Then don't gaff them and move on.  Live and let live. 

[SSmokinn SS]

We gaffed a 42 " pike once on ice  in Essex county.  It was an awesome day.
There are good populations in many larger bodies of water that's totally underutilized.  To harvest and consume a fish is sportsmanship.  To kill a fish just for the purpose of skin mounts is more self serving.  If you are a c&r fisher more power but it's a game harvest sport.

Bow fishing carp is gross too

Hey, I’m guilty for skin mounts in my younger years, however with his replica mounts are today, I have changed my outlook towards keeping trophy’s... I get it’s to each their own kinda thing. I don’t have a problem with it....

I agree with you on the number of them in Essex... for sure there is a crazy amount of 40”+ pike trolling these waters... but if they are being kept at 36, 40”, etc, how are they gonna reach that 50” mark I plan to get too😂

[MuskieMike]

Was out Tuesday saw one ATV near boat launch, anybody see any machines making it out in the deep snow to in the middle of Lake, between Clarks Island and Grove Point ?

[wec]

Darn. I hate thAt.

Isn’t gaffing illegal here, in Essex county?

Use of a gaff is legal while ice fishing.  Personally, if I was keeping a pike to eat, I would keep 30-35 inch , and let the the ones in the upper 30’s live another day, if I were to cat a 40 plus one, I would keep for a skin mount.

[SchrnLker]

Was out Tuesday saw one ATV near boat launch, anybody see any machines making it out in the deep snow to in the middle of Lake, between Clarks Island and Grove Point ?

Thought I saw tracks out there yesterday, but not sure.  I'll check today.

[ship of fools]

Thought I saw tracks out there yesterday, but not sure.  I'll check today.

How much snow overnight?

[Mikey Ice]

only an inch of snow last night
the sleds flattened out most of the heavy snow from earlier in the week
travel on the lake should be fine

[mono_mono]

I've been on Big Pond (Finally) About a 90 minute drive for me. Lots of guys on it both times but you can get a spot and have fun. I would like to try Little Pond but can't find much on it. Is it worth the drag in and does it have the same species as Big Pond? And like others have said, you can mow your lawn 30 miles from these places and have 8" of ice when you pull up. They are shaded and high elevation

[hardwaterhonkey]

Hey, I’m guilty for skin mounts in my younger years, however with his replica mounts are today, I have changed my outlook towards keeping trophy’s... I get it’s to each their own kinda thing. I don’t have a problem with it....

I agree with you on the number of them in Essex... for sure there is a crazy amount of 40”+ pike trolling these waters... but if they are being kept at 36, 40”, etc, how are they gonna reach that 50” mark I plan to get too😂

I agree totally bud I’m from a little bit south and catch and release and selective harvest has always been instilled keep killing those big fish and the genes get wiped out too they didn’t even seem like the skin mount type I think they where just freezer fillers, I’ve never gotten a pike out of there nor do I really try but it’s just the concept, many lakes get wiped out on years like this where ice is far and few between lately

[hot tuna]

I'm definitely a freezer filler.  See,  we raise,  grow and harvest our foods instead of buying chemical laced store bought.
This is just 1 of our 4 full sized freezers.

[wec]

I'm definitely a freezer filler.  See,  we raise,  grow and harvest our foods instead of buying chemical laced store bought.
This is just 1 of our 4 full sized freezers.

Nice.