Wilson Lake, Exploring a New Back Country Route

On the Hunt for Lake Trout

The Trip to Wilson lake was an excellent trip that I will not soon forget. Adam, My dad Ron, and myself headed to Wilson with the main goal of having a fish fry with the delicious lake trout. Adam and myself brought out the fishing kayaks and Ron used a canoe with a little 2.5 hp engine (which worked very well).

wilson lake

We packed heavy for this trip as we had spare room in the canoe. Of course we would regret this during the portages but would thoroughly enjoy it once we reached our destination. The weather would vary during this trip but the first day was beautiful.

The Trip In to Wilson Lake

    Sunny and with the winds to our back we started out on Reynar Lake. Adam and myself paddled hard as my pops zoomed passed us and got some fishing in as we were catching up. As we approached the first portage, we passed a pair of canoes and their passengers told us that the trails were good all the way to Wilson. Also, they managed to catch a couple walleye there, which was exciting to hear.

There was 6 portages total we had to deal with (7 if u include a 10m pull through), all of them being relatively flat with the exception of the first and last portage. They were also fairly short with the longest being 250 meters, which was nice for the Kayaks. However we did pack heavy, and by the time we reached Wilson everyone was exhausted and sore. However, I have never been happier to see a Lake.

wilson lake

A Beautiful Lake to Camp on

    My Dad visited Wilson lake 30 years ago after a fire went through and burnt everything including the lodge that was there. He was delighted to see how beautiful the lake was with the return of the vegetation. The Lake itself could be split into two sections, one being a flat wide shallow end, and the other being a long underwater canyon stretching 5 km and reaching depths over 100ft.

During our hunt for lake trout Adam and myself traveled all the way down this canyon. The rock composition was quite amazing and intrigued me as I began my studies in Geology last year. One side of the canyon was the rigid, cubic and fractured rock one typically expects in the shield and the other was this fresh looking rock that flowed like it just recently cooled from a volcano. It almost seemed to bubble like magma was still there trying to break the surface. This would be a nice consolation price as we were not able to find the lake trout in this canyon, but we did find success fishing in Wilson lake over all.

There are Indeed Fish in Wilson Lake!

    I would go on to claim first blood as I caught a walleye right off shore after setting up camp, conveniently this spot would turn out to be quite productive. The first full day of fishing was slow but we were catching jack fish here and there. Adam managed to catch an eating size walleye which would be a part of breakfast. The lake trout were shy about revealing their location and what they wanted to bite.

wilson lake

We heavily explored the canyon side of the lake but to no success. Luck would finally strike my dad’s 5 of diamonds lure just as the sun set and he managed to catch a beautiful 28 inch lake trout. He pulled it in from the shore at camp in an area we believed they would not be. His catch along with Adams almost-catch provided us with the true location of the Lake trout, however our next day of fishing would be interrupted by bad weather.

Mother Nature Can Only be Nice for so Long…

    Sadly, the weather would be wet and windy on our second full day of fishing. My dad and I headed out on the canoe in the morning but the cold northern wind and rain did not allow us to continue. It was getting dangerous in the canoe, as well as cold. So we retreated to Camp and donned the rain gear, for a cold and wet day.

We had a couple close calls fishing on the shore, but our efforts were more focused on keeping the fire burning and hot beverages flowing. We finished the half fireplace into a proper fully enclosed one and got caught up on some rest. Our campsite was positioned nicely against the incoming winds which was just one of its nice features.

Accommodations that did Not Disappoint

    To our surprise there were actually a ton of potential campsites on this lake as we explored it, but overall we were happy with our choice. Firewood was plentiful and close, it was well sheltered and provided good shore fishing opportunities. It did have a few minor setbacks, such as water access being a little ways from the fire pit/ cooking area, and it could have had a more flat area to dock the boats. These were merely minor inconveniences though. This cold miserable day however, was capped off by one of the many enjoyable meals we had in the backwoods.

View from the camp site

Food that one Does Not Expect in the Wilderness

    If you follow Adam, you know that he likes to eat well and boy did we ever. The first meal was also a first for me, Surf and Turf in the middle of nowhere. Dinner was comprised of shrimp, scallops, and venison back straps. This glorious meal was followed by a delicious Italian pasta dish the next night. Then the piece de resistance, the beautifully prepared lake trout that my pops caught the night before. This was my first time trying it and it did not disappoint. Dipped in a simple but delicious beer batter it was a highlight of the trip, giving us the energy for the paddle back to civilization.

Leaving Wilson Lake Behind

    The Weather would come around and be on our side for the trip back, the wind again was to our backs and it was sunny. With all our food devoured it made for a lighter and easier portage back. We knew where we were going and how fast it was going to be and learned the optimal way to transport our gear which made the trip out much more relaxing and enjoyable.

The little swarms of flies were quite annoying but the wind would offer bouts of relief until we reached Reynar lake and got on the open water again. Once we hit Reynar we leisurely fished the lake as we moved towards the trucks. We ended the trip with a smile on our face and sense of accomplishment, a truly amazing fishing trip.


Watch the video below for Adams recap and amazing aerial footage of Wilson Lake, as well as Adams thoughts on the trip for another perspective to this great journey. For Lure and gear reviews, unboxings, and more outdoor adventures, check out True North Wild’s Youtube channel. If you like the video, don’t forget to hit the like and subscribe buttons! If you have a fishing, hunting, or outdoor product that you would like reviewed, or another portage you think we should do feel free to contact us.

2 Comments

  • sv January 13, 2021 at 11:58 pm

    Hey! I’m pretty sure that was me and my buds you met on your way in to Wilson…as soon as I saw the pic of your Dad’s loaded canoe I remembered helping him over the first portage out of Reynar and then meeting you two in kayaks on Reynar.

    Really like your site/blog, will be checking out those recipes!

    Steve

    • AdamZax February 17, 2021 at 9:23 pm

      Awesome, its a small world sometimes and its always interesting when people I meet out in the bush find this site.

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