St Mary's Lake. Saltspring Isalnd

tinboatrobb

Well-Known Member
Spent last weekend at Green Acre resort on Saltspring Island for our 22nd anniversary. We took out a little 10ft rowboat and after catching and releasing a couple of nice trout my wife hooked this rainbow that is just over 4lbs. on light tackle it took her close to 10 mins to get it to the boat, it keep sounding and peeling off line. Sure tasted good..
 

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I've caught smallmouth up to 6 pounds in St. Mary's Lake. The fish are good eating in the cold months, but don't bother keeping them once the water warms. The lake suffers from huge algae blooms in the summer and the fish take on a real swampy taste. I've also caught cutthroat up to 5-6 lbs in there. I grew up on that lake and my family still has a place there. I used to be able to catch 2 cutthroat over 20" a day when the regs allowed that. I don't keep any fish from the lake anymore as the fishing isn't quite like it used to be in the old days. Its still pretty good though.
 
Ya there are some big ones in there, but they are rare. You will not catch them often, and if you do it will probably be on something that the fish don't see used regularly. The big ones get pretty educated to the daily used lures, as most guys release the bass they catch.
 
I've put 50+ fishing days on St. Mary over 15 years. I've never got anything over 3lbs. Caught bigger ones at Cusheon.
 
I've put 50+ fishing days on St. Mary over 15 years. I've never got anything over 3lbs. Caught bigger ones at Cusheon.
Are you talking Bass or Trout. As I said, the big bass in the lake are not easily caught. There are some big ones there, but you will need something they very rarely see to catch them. The small ones are easily caught. All the largest bass I've caught in the lake were never caught on standard bass gear. As far as pics go no I don't have any because I don't take pics of fish I catch. I'm not from the Facebook generation. I've been fishing for 50 years and I hardly have a pic of any fish I've ever caught. Not my thing.
 
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Talking bass, I only caught trout on St.Mary by accident while specifically targeting smallies. The trout hit spinnerbait and large rapalas. I understand that big ones are hard to catch, they are weary, and aren't plentiful in that lake. I think thats why some doofus put perch in there. To try to fatten up the smallies.

I haven't fished it in 7-8 years though. Maybe there are more 3lb+ in there nowadays. I haven't seen a pic of any 5lber's
 
Ya the Perch f'd up the lake quite badly for a while. It has come back, though not quite like it was in the old days
 
About 5 years ago I camped on the lake for a few days in early July, spent everyday tossing worms and such for bass off my tinner. The bass fishing was incredible, with multiple 20+ fish days and the biggest bass being around 4-5lbs. Went back last year thinking it would be just as good fishing, same time of year but we only got 3 bass in 2 days and probally at least 50 perch. Seems like the perch and algae messed with the lake pretty good.
 
The fishing is generally better during the summer when the aerators are going. The funding was cut off again recently to keep the aerators going. The aerators keep the algae in check during the summer and make a big difference in the summer fishing. The best fishing is usually after the first stretch of warm weather in April and into May and June. The hot July and August months are not the best months for fishing, but you can have great days in the summer as well.
 
We fished it few years back, did well on 3-5's in pre spawn. Fished the drops coming off the shallows as the small mouth where looking to start fanning for nests.
 
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