bittern lake

[the shark]

I guess the past couple warm days really settled the snow down and guys are back driving on the ice at candle !! Cheers. 

[ggpr]

With the weather we are predicted to get i am wondering if by next weekend we could be looking at bare ice with no snow?  Me and a buddy are planning a camping trip with his winter tent for next weekend and were considering either camping in a camp ground or driving (possibly sledding) to a location on the shore of a lake to camp and ice fish 1-2 lakes over the weekend.  With this weather being so nice does anyone think we might have to worry about driving on?  I know in past years the ice stayed strong well through april and even into may.  i dont think anyone was driving on for the opening day in may but certainly people walked on a lot of lakes.  I am thinking that 1-2 weeks of positive temperatures wont degrade the 3 ft + ice that a lot of lakes have to unsafe thicknesses that quickly? 

It would sure be nice to be able to drive out to a camp site and fishing grounds rather than walking (neither of us own a snowmobile but can possibly borrow my friends dads)

Any word on the bite as of lately?  Would it be worth going to for 1-2 days.  I am thinking maybe we might try montreal or maybe hop over to whiteswan to try for some lakers on the second day.

Does anyone know if we might have better luck finding a spot on shore to camp at whiteswan or bittern?  Or if there is an accessible campground at whiteswan?  I dont think bittern had any places to camp (have been there one time), but i do recall seeing what looked like possibly a shore lunch setup on the eastern shore of bittern about 1/3 of the way south on the lake from the northern access point.  Does anyone know if that is private land or if it would be ok to camp there for one night?

Thanks for any help everyone!

[biggulp]

Any help with access would be appreciated.  We are going there Sunday and just want to know if we will need to load the sleds or not.  Thanks

[LOTALOTA]

was out there sat march 7 no sled required drove all the way to ice heave no problem with a 4x4

[LOTALOTA]

make sure you have an extention for your auger i have a jiffy 8" with 12" inch extention definately needed it

[biggulp]

Thanks for your help.  How was the fishing?

[wally wacker]

the shore line around Bittern is crown land so feel free to pitch a tent. I fact the first north east point after coming on to the big lake is a great spot to be at sun up as the walleye move through into the little bay and at times you can smack em

[Tee Tot]

   Going to take some little fellas on Sat. is there enough of a bite to keep them occupied?

[ggpr]

Anyone been to bittern since the 7th?  Still easy to drive on?  My only worry would be if the snow is starting to turn to slush on the ice?  Any idea how much snow was on the lake when you were there LOTALOTA?

Does anyone know how the ice near shore is or would likely be after this warm spell?  Would it be wise not to drive the truck too close to shore and to walk in with the gear for camping on or near shore?  I am wondering if it might be smarter to leave the truck 50 to 100 yards out from shore or something...?

Any help would be appreciated!!

Also is anyone knows about the conditions at montreal lake that would be great too.  If driving on was possible at any of the access points, or if good fishing for large pike could be had within a reasonable walking distance of any of the access points?

Thanks!

[Tee Tot]

Was on Montreal on 8th drive on @ boat ramp (derby area) East side of community, drive up the east side of lake, dont have to go to far (just away from others)  no more than a mile. Stay bout 100 yds off shore in 6-10 ft. for good pike and the occasional walleye (only keep 1 on montreal Lk.) Going to be on Bittern on the 14th with pair of Tacomas stop for a bevvy if you see us 

[ggpr]

Thanks for the info Tee Tot, we will be in a silver sierra.  Probably do bittern tomorrow and camp overnight there and try for the morning walleye bite sunday on bittern and move over to montreal for pike mid morning and stay until evening.

The access point you are talking about for montreal is the boat launch in the community on the eastern edge of it, correct?  Looks like there is also a launch in the bay east of the community, any recent experience with that launch or is the fishing just as good and access better at the community?  Looks like the mouth of the river between bittern and montreal (bittern river?) is within the range you are talking about, seems like it would be a decent place to fish.  is the ice sketchy near the river mouth?  i assume being out 100 yards like you suggest would be fairly safe,  even when in line with the river mouth.

Good luck out there!

[ggpr]

We ended up fishing bittern saturday and sunday.  Saturday was probably my best ice fishing day ever (which isnt saying much  as i haven't got the ice figured out as well as the open water but it was still pretty awesome!).  Between the two of us we caught about 10 walleye and more little pike than i could count... if i had to estimate probably 30 ish.  I also caught a beautiful fat 36.5 inch pike.  I would estimate it at 15 + lbs based on a skinnier 37 inch pike i caught in the past that was 15 lbs.  Immediately after releasing the pike and rebaiting my hook and dropping it down the hole i got a fat 26 inch pike too!  All of the walleye were respectable 16-20 inch fish, which was great as i rarely ever catch walleye during the ice season.  The bite for the walleye was on pretty much all day, we would seem to catch one or two with the second one coming quickly after the first and then having a lull where we would catch a bunch of tiny pike and then a walleye or two again.  We spent most of the weekend fishing in about 8 feet (3 ft of ice, 5 ft of water).

We even managed to catch 3 walleye on tip ups, which was a first for me to even get one on at tip up!  I got mine on my jaw jacker, but i do believe my buddy caught one of his after noticing some jigging on his tip up and then hand jigging the fish in, but we did hook one on a dead line.  It looked like everyone around us was catching fish on saturday, however it did seem like we had more action at our spot, especially considering there was only 2 of us fishing vs some larger groups out there.  Was there ever a lot of people out on saturday though!  It was good to see a lot of families out having fun and catching some fish with the kids!  I know i will try and bring my boy out to hopefully get some good action when he is old enough.

Sunday wasn't as hot of fishing and we didnt get on the ice until about 10 am after we took down and packed out the tent and gear.  It was crazy windy in the morning too (gusting over 50 km/hr) so we were a bit slow to get out of the tent, we made breakfast and had a morning fire while we worked up the drive to go out and pack our gear out and get fishing.  we caught about 5 small pike and one nice 18-20 inch walleye.

We talked to a guy while getting gas at the national park turnoff who fished montreal on friday and was heading back for saturday who said the fishing was really hot there friday.  They were getting more walleye than pike even he said.  I would not have wanted to be on montreal today with that nasty north wind... it was ridiculous, i don't recall a windier day in my travels up north in the last few years.  It typically seems that the north is less windy than the south on "windy days" but i think it was windier up there!  We were a bit worried with the stove pipe going out the roof of the tent and that crazy blowing wind.. luckily the tent held strong.

Here are a few pics of the two big pike and our camp.  it was the perfect weekend to camp aside from the wind.  my buddies tent was almost too hot with the stove going

Good luck everyone

[wally wacker]

sounds like fun, we were on weyakwin on Saturday and the fishing was awesome too, we caught and released 35 walleye between the two of us but they were all 15 inchers or 5 pound spawners no 20 inch walleye at all. we went ack and hit the same spots on sunday in the big wind and couldn't buy a bite only caught 5 walleye from 7 till 2 then we dropped down to bittern and finished of the night with a few more nice walleye that we kept for home. also caught my first burbot of the winter  on Saturday. we ended up with a five specie catch: walleye perch burbot northern whitefish and a tullibee.

[ran7ger]

 sounds like six!  nice job guys.

[saskatchewanace]

Was anyone up to bittern this last week.
just wondering about ice conditions at the creek mouths.
and how far out is the open water .

[timbertomjr]

I was there last Thursday. Soild ice. There was no water running that I seen. Eyes were great there and at Montreal lake. I'm headed back tomorrow for one last time.

[The Beachcomber]

Some lads were out yesterday, very poor showing, only one fish.  Season is done!