About 2 months until my trip to Wabaskang Lake!

When I was a kid and we stayed at the south end of the lake, we'd usually make the portage into the river and Wine lake for an adventure. It took so long to get up there in the camp boats, that we didn't do a whole lot of exploring once we got there.

This time we'll be staying a lot closer (Peffley's) so we'll take the opportunity to explore some more.

Basically, this is all that I know about the lake:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=50.476079,-93.284225&spn=0.159935,0.445976&t=k&z=12&msid=204122001943262480287.00049e7577b8d8de98a48

That and the fact that it is colder and clearer (less fertile) than Wabaskang, so there are a lot more lake trout.

What can you tell me about the lake? How deep are the various different basins and bays? Are there any named parts of the lake that I'm not aware of?

Fishing spots are cool, but I'm always more interested in knowing what it under the surface of the water so that I can pick my own fishing spots.

I fish Wine and the one thing I would say is obey the slots. You can only keep the following: walleye under 18", Trout under 22". Last year I saw from four to six boats from Wabaskang every day. Seems to me Wine would be a better place to stay.

While I wouldn't keep fish over those sizes in any lake, those maximum sizes don't have the force of law behind them.

They are just camp rules for Wine Lake Camp (and good ones).

Some day I'll probably stay on Wine, but between 4 and 6 boats from Wabaskang out of probably more than 75 on Wabaskang isn't that many, considering how easy the portage is.

Nobody knows anything about Wine Lake?

I figure I'd try one more time to see if I could learn anything about Wine Lake. Maybe there are more people looking at this forum now that spring has come.

I'll be on the road in a couple of days, and fishing in 5!

I am a Wine Lake Veteran, returning at least once every year since 2000 except one. Like most of northwestern Ontario, the fishing is really pretty good. We usually go with 4 or 6 guys, although my wife and i went one August, just the two of us. We usually go around the last week in May, first week in June. This year we go in May 28, leaving Indiana in 8 days (Yessss!!!) Our records are: Laker- Norm Smith, 34 1/2" (x2), Northern- Jeff Walker 42", Walleye-Nathan Walker 29 1/2", Whitefish- Nathan Walker 22". We have never caught huge smallmouth but they are established in the system. Every year is different, but the trout are usually shallow when we go and sometimes we hit the post spawn lull for walleyes. Herb and Ann at Wine Lake Camp are great, even though they are super liberal old hippies we love them a lot. They do have a knack for nickel and diming you for most things and they are not particularly cheap but we find ourselves returning because we can't seem to get the size and constant action at other places. The portage trips are all extra and you will buy extra gas because they only provide 20 gals. per boat. We always cringe a little at settle up time because it is always more than we thought. There is no electricity and they use outhouses and a shower house, but for us that is part of the charm. Herb was a carpenter in his previous life so the cabins are well built, in good repair and the camp is comfortable. The boats are solid and most have 25hp motors. Overall we recommend it and will perhaps see you since we are arriving as you are leaving.

The pictures I've seen from Wine Lake Camp lead me to believe that it is a beautiful camp. I didn't know the owner was a carpenter, but I'm not surprised.

I'd like to check it out one of these years.

I know the lake is better for trout, becuase it is deeper and less fertile. What I don't have a good sense of is how deep it is on average. Are the many bays and connecting lakes also deep, or are they generally shallow?

Wine Lake is about 90 ft. at the deepest. Of course up until mid June the lakers are shallow and we catch them all over Wine Lake and even in some of the connecting lakes. Most people fish the area between Beaver and Dynamite Bay around the islands when they are deep and it is over 50 ft. there. The connecting lakes are too shallow for midsummer lakers. There is also a lake you can use called Little Trout and it is full of 25 inchers. There is an extra charge and about a half mile walk.

Fish rocks and some old lures and fishing line.:sorry: