Splake through the ice..

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sam_h
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Splake through the ice..

Post by sam_h »

Hi everyone, just found this board through a google search looking for splake lakes. Seems like it is mainly Ottawa-area focused?

I'm mainly looking for Kingston area splake (brookie) info based off of this thread:

Is it possible to get to Paddys lake without a sled in the winter? What about Dog Lake? looks huge, there must be public access?

Will keep searching google for info, appreciate any help!
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Out4trout
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Re: Splake through the ice..

Post by Out4trout »

Welcome to the site

Paddy's is a waste of time ever since the beaver dam broke a couple years ago.
The skunks and racoons ate well for a few days downstream.

Public access to Dog lake at the shipyards launch, straight east of Battersea.
You can walk to the parkette / beach area and shortcut the bay loop.
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Doug
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Re: Splake through the ice..

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There is also access onto Dog Lake via Burnt Hills Road where a back bay comes right up to the road. Hogan's Camp ground at the North end used to permit access, and may still. Bob Hogan who owned the camp ground died in the last year or so, and I do not know the status of the camp ground or whether access is still permitted there.

From what I have heard, the splake this winter have not been all that cooperative. I have not personally been out. In past years, my best success with splake in that lake have been between about 20 and 30 FOW, and the bite is almost always VERY soft. Good luck.

Doug
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Re: Splake through the ice..

Post by sam_h »

Out4trout wrote:Welcome to the site

Paddy's is a waste of time ever since the beaver dam broke a couple years ago.
The skunks and racoons ate well for a few days downstream.

Public access to Dog lake at the shipyards launch, straight east of Battersea.
You can walk to the parkette / beach area and shortcut the bay loop.
[img]http://www.doglakeassociation.ca/page5/ ... 74.png[img]
Awesome, looks like the end of Wellington St is the parking, thanks!

That info about Paddy's is great too, never would have known. Any other lakes in the area that would work for us?
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sam_h
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Re: Splake through the ice..

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Doug wrote:There is also access onto Dog Lake via Burnt Hills Road where a back bay comes right up to the road. Hogan's Camp ground at the North end used to permit access, and may still. Bob Hogan who owned the camp ground died in the last year or so, and I do not know the status of the camp ground or whether access is still permitted there.

From what I have heard, the splake this winter have not been all that cooperative. I have not personally been out. In past years, my best success with splake in that lake have been between about 20 and 30 FOW, and the bite is almost always VERY soft. Good luck.

Doug
Ok thanks. Was thinking minnows on tipups would be good, or just dead sticking minnows. Jigging small spoons and cranks to bring em around. Any success in <10' of water?
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Re: Splake through the ice..

Post by Doug »

sam_h wrote:
Doug wrote:There is also access onto Dog Lake via Burnt Hills Road where a back bay comes right up to the road. Hogan's Camp ground at the North end used to permit access, and may still. Bob Hogan who owned the camp ground died in the last year or so, and I do not know the status of the camp ground or whether access is still permitted there.

From what I have heard, the splake this winter have not been all that cooperative. I have not personally been out. In past years, my best success with splake in that lake have been between about 20 and 30 FOW, and the bite is almost always VERY soft. Good luck.

Doug
Ok thanks. Was thinking minnows on tipups would be good, or just dead sticking minnows. Jigging small spoons and cranks to bring em around. Any success in <10' of water?
It has been my experience that if you do not have your line in your hand, you miss the minnow thieves, so personally I have not had much success with tipups. Dead stick would be OK as long as you can pick up the rod as soon as you see anything. VERY occasionally the guys fishing pike and panfish in shallow water pick up splake but it is not common. I do not know anybody who targets them in shallow water on Dog. The splake are mostly in the deeper part of the lake, in my experience - and from other anglers who target them. Who knows? Maybe a stealthy approach in skinny water would work - it would just not be my starting tactic.

Good luck to you! And yes the slush IS deep, I was speaking with a lad this morning..............

Doug
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Re: Splake through the ice..

Post by Splake_Hunter »

Fishing on Dog has been average this year. I haven't fished as much as normal. 2 kids now and too much snow out there. But I have landed a couple dandies. You need a sled or a high sitting truck, or be prepared to go for a challenging walk. Not too many out there fishing because of the snow & slush, so its worth a try. Everything Doug said is on the money. Your best bet to walk out is to park on Burnt Hills Rd as Doug said. I walked out from there on Family Day, it wasn't fun, but made it out.
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Re: Splake through the ice..

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Splake_Hunter wrote:Fishing on Dog has been average this year. I haven't fished as much as normal. 2 kids now and too much snow out there. But I have landed a couple dandies. You need a sled or a high sitting truck, or be prepared to go for a challenging walk. Not too many out there fishing because of the snow & slush, so its worth a try. Everything Doug said is on the money. Your best bet to walk out is to park on Burnt Hills Rd as Doug said. I walked out from there on Family Day, it wasn't fun, but made it out.
Glad you chimed in here. I was going to mention that there was a local expert............ :wink: but thought you might have wanted to remain anonymous!

Doug
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Re: Splake through the ice..

Post by sam_h »

Hey guys, appreciate the advice.

So it looks like it's going to be quite a trek just to get out to the grounds, ah well!

Any other lakes in the area we can check out? Have a couple days so we're looking to do some exploring. What about Upper Rock?
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Re: Splake through the ice..

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sam_h wrote:Hey guys, appreciate the advice.

So it looks like it's going to be quite a trek just to get out to the grounds, ah well!

Any other lakes in the area we can check out? Have a couple days so we're looking to do some exploring. What about Upper Rock?
I have not been on Upper Rock in many years. When I did fish there, the average fish being KEPT by most anglers was not big enough to get me excited. I recall the first time a buddy and I hit that lake, we were catching splake maybe twelve inches long and throwing them back. After a while a guy that was fishing not too far away asked us what we were doing, and we told him we were releasing the small ones. "THOSE ARE KEEPERS!" said he. Ah, so................ :roll:

Access used to be OK in the dead of winter. next to a culvert under the road, but current was always an issue. I do not know where the public access may be these days - probably you should phone the OMNRF if you plan to go.

AND that ice will have slush, almost certainly, like all of the others right now...............

Doug
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Re: Splake through the ice..

Post by sam_h »

Thanks Doug. Been so cold here I am surprised there's that much slush on the ice.

How bad is it? Couple inches ofnslush covered in a foot of soft snow?
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Doug
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Re: Splake through the ice..

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sam_h wrote:Thanks Doug. Been so cold here I am surprised there's that much slush on the ice.

How bad is it? Couple inches ofnslush covered in a foot of soft snow?
a foot of slush under three feet of snow...........
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Re: Splake through the ice..

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Holy sh*t what happened!? Snowshoes it is...and probably a full shovel, haha!
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Re: Splake through the ice..

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sam_h wrote:Holy sh*t what happened!? Snowshoes it is...and probably a full shovel, haha!
Two more reports this morning from guys fishing yesterday on local back lakes, but NOT Dog..........ferocious slush and heavy snow over top, three hundred yards is a death march. None of those guys had snowshoes, and the one guy figured that a snowmobile on that lake would almost certainly have bogged down in the slush. Mother Nature's quite the lady, but she can be temperamental..............

Good luck to you! And if you go please let us know how it went.

Doug
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Re: Splake through the ice..

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Doug wrote:
sam_h wrote:Holy sh*t what happened!? Snowshoes it is...and probably a full shovel, haha!
Two more reports this morning from guys fishing yesterday on local back lakes, but NOT Dog..........ferocious slush and heavy snow over top, three hundred yards is a death march. None of those guys had snowshoes, and the one guy figured that a snowmobile on that lake would almost certainly have bogged down in the slush. Mother Nature's quite the lady, but she can be temperamental..............

Good luck to you! And if you go please let us know how it went.

Doug
Wow, don't think I've ever dealt with conditions like that....will definitely be interesting! And letting you know how it goes is the least I can do, expect pics (hopefully fish pics!).
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