Crotch Lake Perch Help

[Moonman]

Hi Guys,

I have booked a trip to Crotch Lake for mid july. It will be me, my wife and seven year old son. We'll be canoeing in, and staying up in the north end, on the northwest corner of Big Island.

Anyway, I can see that there are some nice shoals and rock piles right off shore, so maybe my son can pick up some smallies right from camp. He loves to fish so he'll be casting all day no doubt. My canoe is very well set up for fishing with finder, rod holders, bow deployed anchor etc etc.

Anyway, for me I will ideally want to pick up a walleye or two for a meal one night, and I figure a lot of Crotch walleyes will be suspended over deep water. I have seen that pattern many times on lots of shield and cottage country lakes, but a lot of guys still are jigging abd rigging classic breaklines and shoals etc. ( which will work at times of course). Not having fished the lake before, its not a priority though. The big thing is that my wife absolutely loves perch ( more than walleyes), and the prospect of a perch feed will get her out of the hammock and into the canoe to fish with me and my son. I fish Simcoe a lot and a lot of guys will give up a laker hole before they give any hints to a general perch area, but heres hoping someone might share a spot or two where I might find some yellow bellies. Just a general area to start our search would be fine, not looking for anyone's honey hole.

Anyway, thanks in advance and tightlines to all.

Moonman.

[RJ]

I've never fished Crotch and am not even sure how great the Perch population is. In mid July, I'd be looking for some type of mud flat in the 20-24 fow range if there is such a thing on the lake. Mid summer Perch move deep and feed off the worms and bugs that live in the mud.

RJ

[Yakster]

We were there last summer, lots of pike and bass.
There is a deeper section right off from big Island that is the deepest in the north section of Crotch Lake. back road map books says it's 15m deep, I don't recall seeing that come up on my screen on this section of the lake.
We're there for a week the first week of July....I'll post a report after.

here's a couple from last season

[Moonman]

Hey thanks Yakster, a report from your trip would be great. Those are some nice bass, that smallie is a fatty. Did you get into many largemouth? I got the feeling the lake was much more a smallie fishery than largemouth fishery.

Moonman.

[JZ]

I was there a couple years ago in the fall, the water levels between summer and fall are dramatically different, I beleive the water was down 9 ft from summer time high when we were there in early fall. I had always heard there was a big draw down but couldnt believe how dramatic it was. So with these differences not sure I can provide any real advice except when we were there the walleye were suspended, got a couple on the bottom but that was it. The perch were on the bottom and we did get a few on bottom bouncer/harness. I dont recall the perch being jumbos or anything so might be tough to get a meal out of them, and the walleye slot in zone 18 is tough so I think your best bet for a shorelunch would be a couple 1-1.5 pound smallies. There were lots of them in the lake.

[Yakster]

Hey thanks Yakster, a report from your trip would be great. Those are some nice bass, that smallie is a fatty. Did you get into many largemouth? I got the feeling the lake was much more a smallie fishery than largemouth fishery.

Moonman.

After reading what others had posted I had my doubts that it would be anything more than a camping trip....then on day one I realized this was now a fishing trip...good mix in there of small mouth and large mouth.
My wife hooked into a monster pike, on it's 3 run it snapped the line.

Booked in for two separate weeks this summer can't wait!
The evening walleye bite is really good at the north launch (between site 76 and the launch)

[Moonman]

Hey guys, thanks for the tips, much appreciated. Should be a fun trip. No portages means we are bringing all the creature comforts!

Moonman.