Desert Lake fishing.

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LouisD33
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Desert Lake fishing.

Post by LouisD33 »

The wife and I are off on a couple of day fishing excursion top Desert Lake.
We are looking at the 23rd 24th and the morning of the 25th.
Does anyone have any info that help make this excursion a little on the memorable side. Certain areas on the lake or other lakes that would be a short drive from Desert. We are booking a cottage at Lazy Acres Cottages located on the south end of the lake I believe.
We mostly fish for Bass ( large or small ) but I have to say that there is nothing more exciting than having a big largie bust a top water.

Thanks in advance for your always great info. Louis D.
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dead_weight
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Post by dead_weight »

Well it's been a long time since I was there but camped at a campground and did some fishing from a canoe ... lots of SMB near the large rock faces across from the campground (it's been a while so I'm a little foggy on the details) ... nothing of any size ... I did see lots of boats heading out into deeper water for lakers. We also had luck with some smaller trout near the mouths of a few brooks .. again must be close to the campground because we didn't canoe that far. I didn't have my fly rod so I think we just spinners, mepps and worms.

If you fly fish I'd be tempted to bring some poppers along with the usual dry and wet flies ... never sure what they want til you get there ... I do recall they hit our stuff close to the surface ...

Hope this helps ...
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Post by nitro2000 »

Have not yet fished it, but have a place booked mid-September.
Lazy Acres Cottages is actually located on Holleford Lake,with access to Desert Lake. We walked around Lazy Acres and checked out the waterfront. Holleford Lake appears to be a largemouth lake, tons of weed and shoreline cover. To access Desert Lake from Lazy Acres, you have to walk across the road, not far though. They have docks there.
Desert Lake is a deep lake with shoals and sharp dropoffs. I suspect its more of a smallie lake.
I suggest you get a map if you can,I found a Desert Lake map at Pathfinders, but they should be available at most map places. I didn't look for Holleford as we are staying at Snug Harbour Resort on Desert Lake.
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Post by kingb_44 »

Another option would be to go up Mitchell Creek (enters Desert Lake at Snug Harbor) and fish Birch Lake. It's about a 2 mile ride, or just fish Mitchell Creek.
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Post by nitro2000 »

That is a good option, apparently. The owner of Snug Harbour said some good bass fishing there. I don't think I'll take my boat thru the creek though, its not very deep. Depends on your boat, I guess.
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Post by kingb_44 »

After the first 150 - 200 yards the creek widens out and gets deeper.
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LouisD33
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Desert lake fishing

Post by LouisD33 »

Thanks for all your help. I was hoping for a couple of off the main lake areas to fish and you have not dissapointed me. I will give a report when I get back.

Louis D.
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Hollywood
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Post by Hollywood »

I camped at desert lake resort for a week the past 3 years. Haven't been there this year though. So, my directions will be based on that area as a startin point.

At the opposite end of the lake from there last year as it funnels into the bay, I was drifting and jigging swim baits. I was catching large pike with those.

The other areas I had luck for bass were, again from dlr, half way dowm the lake on the left hand side there is a very narrow channel that open into a small secluded bay that is almost a tiny lake by itself. Lots of cover at one end of it, deep shore lines and probably about 20 ft in the middle of it. I was having some luck with small mouth there in the deeper parts with jerk baits. OTher than that, there are alot of perch in that bay.

there other thing I did was go up the creek into what I believe is called canoe lake. The creek is shallow and I believe it's right beisde where you are camping. Canoe lake is a shallow narrow lake with only about 6t ft of water. I was getting lots of large mouth there dropping wacky rigs onto lilly pads and tugging them into the water. They weren't thay big, but they were plentyful.

Other than thatt, some people tell me the small lake across the road from dlr has lots of bass, but when I tried it last year, I spent more time cleaning weeds of my motor than fishing.....

good luck!
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Post by Doug »

I have fished Desert Lake many hundreds of days over the last twelve years or so - we used to stay at a cottage on the northeast side, above Snug Harbour. The cottages are owned by the Abrams family, and not surprisingly are called Abrams Cottages. There is a waiting list to rent them most years, as almost all of the clientele is long-time repeat business. Good business model if you can achieve it! And unlike some of the other spots on the lake, Abrams cottages have a reasonable degree of privacy.............

Desert Lake has a LOT of species, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, lake trout, pike, black crappies, bluegills, pumpkinseeds, perch, herring, probably some others that I am not remembering. I would not rate any of them as being in spectacular abundance, but a person should never be skunked on that lake. There are some truly big fish in all of the species, based on my personal observations, but the average size of most is on the smaller side compared to other lakes in this region.

The person who mentioned Birch Lake probably has the best advice. From Desert Lake at Snug Harbour, go under the bridge, up Mitchell Creek and into Birch. Most days it will out-produce Desert for bass and panfish. The water is deep enough most years for a small to medium size boat to go upstream. (For example, I have taken my 16 foot Sylvan with a 40 hp motor up there.) Some years there is NOT enough water - and I have not been up there this year so I can't say what it will be like now. Later August might have lower water levels, and the levels on all of those lakes are controlled by a dam below one of them (Kingsford IIRC).

The crappie bite is almost exlusively at dusk in about 15 FOW near shoals. I use small jigs and 2" white grubs, free-falled to bottom and retrieved slowly back to the boat. Most bites come at the bottom of the free-fall, or on the way back, and most are quite subtle.

Most folks jig silver Mister Champs for the lakers, and sweeten the jig with a minnow or similar. Herring are an incidental catch, and the size of them is about a pound in most cases. I have not checked the regulations this year, but herring have been ILLEGAL to use as bait on Desert Lake. (Just in case you were thinking.....) The lakers are all over the north end of the lake in deep water, but I generally hit 80 to 100 FOW +/- and anchor up. Some folks do run the riggers for them, and some folks pull lead-core and steel line, but I have not personally seen a lot of fish caught by the trollers.

There are bass all over the lake in all of the usual spots. Smallies are everywhere, but as I said the average size is small, most years.

HTH.

Doug
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Post by Doug »

Hollywood wrote:

there other thing I did was go up the creek into what I believe is called canoe lake. The creek is shallow and I believe it's right beisde where you are camping. Canoe lake is a shallow narrow lake with only about 6t ft of water. I was getting lots of large mouth there dropping wacky rigs onto lilly pads and tugging them into the water. They weren't thay big, but they were plentyful.


Canoe Lake is north of Desert Lake, and I do not think the creek between the two is navigable. One would have to portage over the road at the north end of Desert. There is no campsite in that area. And it is a deep lake, with lake trout.

So I am guessing that you were not in Canoe Lake??? Sounds like Mitchell Creek beside Snug Harbour Resort??? No flame here, just trying to steer the OP in a good direction.

Doug
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Post by Hollywood »

Doug, you are probably right. I can't remember for sure the name of the lake. I just remember heading straight down the channel from desert lake resort and passing a ton of rental cottages while heading up this crystal clear creek that was very shallow with lots of current and a pebble bottom. I remember going under a road. I travelled up and the creek took a bend to the right into a more open area. That is the spot I was referring too. Could be spot wrong about the name. I just know that the bay in desert lake in front of that creek was pretty productive for big pike. I had been jigging in the deep and letting a big wind push me up the lake. When I got to the creek I just decided to go exploring and was getting lucky.
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Post by Doug »

Birch Lake for sure, good water. :D

Doug
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Post by orrsey »

If your staying at Lazy Acres and want to get into Birch lake, which I would recommend, than leave from the dock and stay to the right. You will come to a bay with another rental place with cottages that's snug harbor. Go past it and the creek will be right there in front of you (Mitchel creek). If your going through there make sure you stay to the left side of the little rock island (left side coming from desert) there are a bunch of rocks on the right side that will wreck your motor. Mitchel creek can be good for bass, and birch lake too.

orrsey
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