Hearst Air Service Hearst, ON Call us toll free at:   1-866-844-5700   McLeister Lake

Typical of the lakes in this area, McLeister Lake is a small, shallow lake made up of two distinct basins - the outpost camp being situated on the more westerly portion. While distinct, both basins offer excellent, though differing angling opportunities.
	The western basin is a shallow (less than 20 feet, but typically 6 to 12 feet), soft-bottomed basin with a large central sand / reed bank surrounded by "cabbage" in 5 to 8 feetof water. Friday Creek, a great early-season walleye hotspot in its own rite and navigable for several miles upstream, flows into this end of the lake. The eastern basin of McLeister Lake features a rugged, rock-strewn shoreline which falls quickly into deeper water (12 to 18 feet). There are some soft-bottomed sections - the extreme south-easterly bay in particular. A few scattered cabbage weedbeds offer excellent fishing, as do a few rock outcroppings, mid-lake humps, and the connecting channel.
Walleyes are the drawing card at McLeister, but the lake has plenty of northerns, including a few giants - fish in the 20+ pound range. McLeister walleyes are pretty much "weed walleyes" and can be caught by trolling weedlines or ripping twistertail jigs through the sparse cabbage weedbeds. When fishing a weedbed, work from the outside, in. Cast around the perimeter, troll the breakline / weedline, and then move into the thickest parts of the weedbed.
Not surprisingly, McLeister pike are weed-oriented and the reed bank, the river mouth bar, fast-breaking shorelines, rocky points and cabbage weedbeds hold most of the fish. Spoons, spinnerbaits, in-line spinners, body baits, topwater plugs, buzzbaits and jigs will all catch McLeister Lake's aggressive northerns. If you require additional information about any of the fishing or hunting packages that Hearst Air offers, please do not hesitate to contact us at your convenience. Call toll free at:  1-866-844-5700  or e-mail us at:   fish@hearstair.com