In my ten years of guiding at The Old Post and Village I have come to one conclusion, I am very lucky to be a fisherman on Lake St. Joe. I have fished lakes all over North-western Ontario and Manitoba and there is no question in my mind that when it comes to abundance of large Northern Pike and numbers of quality walleye there is not a better lake around. I am certain that I may be slightly biased, but with good reason, because once a person has fished this lake they will absolutely fall in love with it.

Lake St. Joseph is positioned in a mainly North-east to South-west shape making it possible to take advantage of the prevailing West wind which draws fish to the shorelines and reefs wherever the waves hit the shore. The lake is absolutely chuck-full of structure which makes it a great fishery. It is possible to find every type of structure on this lake, in fact I have never seen this much variety in habitat on any other lake I have fished. Guides at the Old Post are shocked at the fact that they can be fishing mud flats in one area and be able to fish sheer rock drop-offs or gravel shoals only minutes away. These factors give St. Joe mystique that draws you in more than any other lake, creating a real brotherhood amongst fishermen who travel those extra few miles north to fish the legend, Lake St. Joseph. Whether you are a guide from years ago or a new guest of the Old Post, there is something about this place that makes people feel they are part of a unique and special experience.

I have spent years learning the lake, trying to unlock some of its secrets and using the knowledge to provide the guests that fish with me a trip that is second to none. One of the most striking things that you will notice on St. Joe is that you can go an entire day without seeing another fisherman on the lake. This is something that Old Post guides can sometimes take for granted, because in the past we’ve all had to race another boat to our favourite fishing spot, but not on St. Joe.

As I mentioned, guiding Lake St. Joe presents all sorts of challenges and rewards to an angler, from May to September the lake changes immensely and each part of the season has its own payoffs. In May, after the Walleye and Northern have spawned they remain in shallow water and feed to build up fat stores that they have lost through the rigours of reproducing. We as anglers have the opportunity at this time of year to corner these fish, when they are active, and take advantage of their hunger to feed. However, they are very susceptible to temperature change and as anyone who has fished in May knows, this time of year is famous for major swings in temperature. Most of the time your best shot will be to fish Walleye in the morning because they are more likely to feed when the temperature is cool and Northern in the afternoon when the water temperature rises. On clear sunny days the change in temperature can be as much as 20°F over the course of the day, making the large Pike active in the afternoon where they were inactive in the morning. It is crucial at this time of year to have a temperature gauge onboard to track this change to give you the best shot at quality fish. Shallow black mud bottom bays will hold Northern as these areas will warm up the fastest after “ice-out”. These areas can be difficult at times; you need to be cautious while exploring these areas. The Walleye are usually not far away and can be active in very shallow water when the temperature is warm and move to deeper water when things cool down. With some chop on the water pushing bait fish into shore I have caught Walleye and Northern in less than 1 foot of water many times. In fact, I have been able to locate Pike by watching for turbulence in the surface as they move around.

As the season progresses the fish will move further away from the spawning grounds in a trend called staging. At each stage the Walleye and Northern may change their feeding habits as they follow their food sources. The large fish also become sensitive to the warming water around them when the days get hotter and longer. A combination of warming water and changes in forage cause the fish to move from their spring locations throughout the lake. Keeping a close eye on the temperature of the main lake can give the angler clues as to where the fish will be feeding. Areas of the lake in the low 60's will tend to be where the fish are biting when the main lake is in the 50's. It is important to look for emergent weed growth at this time of year, smaller bait fish such as perch, minnows and occasionally ciscoes will use these small weeds as cover.

The next major change in the lake takes place toward the end of June when both Walleye and Northern will start to move to their summer locations. This will usually mean that the fish will be spreading out and in order to catch fish, the angler will have to move around and vary their strategy. Northern will hang out of rock reefs and shorelines in the absence of cabbage weed growth at this time of year. Walleye will seldom be very far away and it is common to catch big Pike on jig heads while fishing for Walleye. The fishing towards the end of June and into the first part of July can be very different from day to day and I feel that it is important not to lock into one specific style of fishing in order to give yourself the best chance of a quality fishing trip.

In July and August when the temperature stabilizes (for the most part) the fishing on Lake St. Joe becomes more consistent as both species reach their summer feeding locations. Although there are some transient fish that travel the lake all summer from location to location, the majority will return to the same general area year after year. Changing water levels can affect their specific location from one summer to the next and this goes for May and June as well. Your hot spot may not be in the exact place that you left it so it is import to move around and follow the wind if the fishing is slow at any time of year. The Northern still set up on main lake cabbage weed beds; they will lie in deep water and feed up on the flats when the mood strikes them. I will concentrate on the edges of the weed bed, holding the boat there and casting out onto the flat. Trolling will work as well and many people like this method, however I feel that casting is more effective as the fish will not be as disturbed.

By the middle to late part of July walleye will tend to be in deeper water on other lakes the fishing is sometimes considered slower at this time of year, but on St. Joe this is probably my favourite time to fish for walleye. From the mid-July until late in August the walleye fatten up incredibly and it is possible to target these larger fish in deeper water where at other times of the year they were spread out around the lake. It is important to have heavier jigs at this time (usually a 3/8ths to 1/2 oz. will do) to ensure that your presentation is at the bottom and in the strike zone. Boat control is also important as it is necessary to hold your position over sharp drops with vertical presentation, obviously there are many ways to fish deep-water Walleye, but I feel on the specific lake this is the most effective.