Lake Superior Brookies

[Squaretail 38]

I agree a nice creek speck is hard to beat for taste and stockers are hard to find good eaters. I find the lakes that produce numbers usually have whiter fleshed fish usually depended on the lake forage. But the lakes that produce less fish but nicer size and flesh are usually better. I got into some three pounders out of a stocked lake this winter that were better then any nipigon fish. The fish were also full of bugs. Which always makes them taste better.

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

Nothing wrong with a few bugs. Builds character and adds protein. I myself fish in rivers for the most part, venturing out the odd time in the winter for some stocked fish. I guess I should venture a little further. I'm quite sad that my river Brookie season is over. Haha.

[Guest Kingpin]

I'm also disappointed to see the end of the natural brook trout season - anybody know why the season here ends labour day when most other zones in Ontario have a September 15th or 30th closure?

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

I am also curious.

[brookiebuster 117]

The brookies here may spawn earlier than other areas for what ever reason. Not sure on that though..

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

That was also my first guess. But I don't know, so I will wait for a definite answer haha.

[brookiebuster 117]

These days the only time I keep a natural speck is when its hooked too deep to be successfully released. I agree they taste better than stocked fish, but I have had a few really nice tasting stocked brookies from certain lakes.

[Castnblast 86]

I'm also disappointed to see the end of the natural brook trout season - anybody know why the season here ends labour day when most other zones in Ontario have a September 15th or 30th closure?

i'm guessing to protect spawning fish. We generally have an earlier fall season - and more valuable native stock.

Mykiss may have info...

[Squaretail 38]

The nipigon fish start staging as early as now but don't spawn till usually October depending on water levels and temps. This late start keeps the fishing open a little later.

[Guest Kingpin]

The nipigon fish start staging as early as now but don't spawn till usually October depending on water levels and temps. This late start keeps the fishing open a little later.

It makes sense that the Lake Nipigon brook trout would spawn later than the brook trout in the rivers and smaller lakes of zone 6 given the size of Lake Nipigon and the time it would take to cool down to spawning temperatures... but zone 1 (Hudson Bay coast) is open until September 30th, zone 8 (Kapuskasing/Cochrane/Timmins/Moosonee) is open until September 15th, and zone 10 (Sault ste Marie/Sudbury) is open to September 30th... do the brook trout around Thunder Bay really spawn earlier than all of these places? I can't seem to make sense of these closing dates.

[Guest Smack Um]

See Exceptions to Zone # 6 Regulations Page # 31 in the 2013 Fishing Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary... Lake Nipigon and all tributaries Brook Trout open from 4th Sat. in Apr. - Sept 15 1 must be greater than (22 in.).

[fishman1 164]

Speaking of reducing the limits on salmon?????????

It's not to often I am faced with catching over 5 fish and I am sure not too many anglers are facing this issue .