Tough week this week on Emily, Stanley, Paint River and Smoky Lake.
Water temps on lakes hovering in low 70s. High skies most of the week and vicious bugs after dark.
Emily: Raised two on one evening trip, trolled up 32 incher on Friday morning.
Stanley: Raised two smaller fish on spinnerbaits.
Paint River: Raised several fish, I caught a 43.5 fatty on a Medussa. Partner caught a couple smaller muskies. Many others seen, but really negative.
Smoky Lake: I love the look of this lake. Stunning bathymetry. Just a head scratcher to drive around with all the contours. Supposedly has schools of ciscoes and recently had an excellent DNR survey. But we saw nothing.
Yes, launch right north of town. Head up the street on the west side of Crystal Bait, follow it around the curve and cross to the far side of the dam. There's a park there. No dock, but a cement ramp. The river is also good downstream at an access called "Little Bull" and at the ramp just outside Florence, Wis. That's a really interesting stretch with islands and bluffs.
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