Canyon Lake & Outpost Lakes Northern Pike Fishing

For many years Canyon had very few Northerns, however because of floods over the years Northerns are very much a part of our ecosystem. We are scoring with northern pike up to 40 inches in length plus they are heavier than the normal run of northerns in our smaller lakes. The added attraction to having a good northern population is we have a world class tiger muskie population with some pushing 30 pounds. You can call them Tigers or Hybrids but both our Northerns and Tigers are doing well, so give them a try.

Option #1

Drive to location on the Wabigon River. We have had great success at this location, and it is a great place to go on days that are too windy to enjoy on the main lake. The shoreline has easy access to both a shallow lake and the river. These two bodies of water are divided by a small access road with a culvert and current running between the two. You can expect to catch numbers of Pike, and if you have children it is a wonderful place for action. Nothing is more important to a youngster than having a fish on the end of his or her line!

Option #2

We can provide a boat, motor, gas and depth finder on a new trailer for option #2. There are several different locations you might want to try. I usually send our clients up towards Long Lake and Square Lake. Bowden Lake is a great place for Northern Pike and large Smallmouth Bass. You have a good chance of landing a large Pike at this location, and should have a great adventure.

John's Lure Suggestions:

The great characteristic of Northern Pike is that they are willing to take about anything you throw at them. I prefer using a spinner bait, some#4 Mepps spinners, and a good steel leader. You will be working over weed beds of cabbage and coon tail, so running shallow over the tops is key. Spoons will often dig down a bit too deep, and then they become weed catchers instead of fish catchers.

I suggest that you use a low stretch line instead of mono. You can cut through the weeds and get better hook sets. Mono has 10% stretch, so if you have 50 ft out it makes sense to use a line that controls the fish. Otherwise, the fish will control you.

Comments from McIntosh Lodge:

We have made a promise to all of our clients to do our very best to put you on fish. Our portage boat is included in our housekeeping package plan and you will find that I always have time to get you where you want to go. If you want to try a small Walleye and Pike lake for an adventure, then I will do my best to get you on that water.