Spray Lakes, what am I doing wrong.

[Surfnturf]

Hi guys, I went ice fishing on this lake a couple of times this year, each time I got a small laker and some bites. Now here is my problem, I've been looking for that deep part everyone's talking about (100 ft+), I walked from Driftwood all the way to the bend of the lake (about 1 km south from Driftwood) looking for that 40-50 m depth depicted in the older pink bathymetry chart. I know it's supposed to be deep more south as well, I'll give it a try but I'm starting to think that map is not accurate, is the water lower now, I couldn't manage to go deeper than 25 m. I drilled about 30 holes withing that general area and all I got is the usual 20-25 m and less. Yes, I did use a sonar...

[NBScott]

25m = 82 feet. Sounds like you found it?

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by NBScott

25m = 82 feet. Sounds like you found it?

🙂 Not saying that is not a decent depth for lake trout...I'm just trying to make sense of that old bathymetry map depicting 40-50 m depth in that area...

[Smoky buck]

Charts on spray are not that reliable do to how much the water can fluctuate throughout the year even

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Charts on spray are not that reliable do to how much the water can fluctuate throughout the year even

I agree, maybe 3-5 m but not by half (25m from 50m).

[FlyTheory]

I’ve found them in 10m. I find you have to go to structure, so sharp drops. It’ll take a few holes being drilled, but once you find it, you’ll find fish in the morning and in the eve. It seems they turn off midday

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Surfnturf

I agree, maybe 3-5 m but not by half (25m from 50m).

I would say it can fluctuate more then 5m but definitely not 25m

Been along time since I fished spray but I don’t remember finding a 50m hole around driftwood. We never looked for one either

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I would say it can fluctuate more then 5m but definitely not 25m

Been along time since I fished spray but I don’t remember finding a 50m hole around driftwood. We never looked for one either

There are threads around here with guys saying they fished in 150 ft deep water.

This is the depth chart I'm talking about

http://albertalakes.ualberta.ca/?pag...e=115&region=4

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I would say it can fluctuate more then 5m but definitely not 25m

Been along time since I fished spray but I don’t remember finding a 50m hole around driftwood. We never looked for one either

And this is a guy talking about it...

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by FlyTheory

I’ve found them in 10m. I find you have to go to structure, so sharp drops. It’ll take a few holes being drilled, but once you find it, you’ll find fish in the morning and in the eve. It seems they turn off midday

Thank you, I know, just wanna try to catch an Ogopogo. I'm just one of those guys who has to know the lake in and out 😁

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Surfnturf

Thank you, I know, just wanna try to catch an Ogopogo. I'm just one of those guys who has to know the lake in and out 😁

I don’t doubt it’s there just don’t remember fishing much deeper then 120ft

Spray is not the place to find a big Laker. When my buddy lived in Canmore he fished spray a ton and caught 1000’s of Lakers. I bet he has caught less then 5 lakers over 10lbs

My personal best out of Spray is 7lbs and I fished it a fair bit when I lived in southern Alberta

Might want to pick a different lake if you dream of ogopogo

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I don’t doubt it’s there just don’t remember fishing much deeper then 120ft

Spray is not the place to find a big Laker. When my buddy lived in Canmore he fished spray a ton and caught 1000’s of Lakers. I bet he has caught less then 5 lakers over 10lbs

My personal best out of Spray is 7lbs and I fished it a fair bit when I lived in southern Alberta

Might want to pick a different lake if you dream of ogopogo

I wish I could. Lake Minnewanka is not open for ice fishing, Ghost reservoir is a waste of time and I'm not heading to Manitoba anytime soon lol

[Fwee6]

My 2 cents as someone that has a fair bit of time at Spray as well...

I've never had success summer or winter fishing the deepest sections.
I've tried it multiple times in the summer, and just recently in the winter.
Best: 60-75 feet for depth, preferably around a bit of structure if you can find it. 95% of any lakers caught within 3 feet of the bottom. The odd time I'll get a suspended fish to bite.
Bottom line: Spray just doesn't have the ecosystem to support major growth.

Desire big lakers in this province? Cold Lake is your spot. Or Lake Athabasca.
Desire legit big lakers? Head to Great Slave/Great Bear Lakes in NWT, and get ready for a sore arm.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Surfnturf

I wish I could. Lake Minnewanka is not open for ice fishing, Ghost reservoir is a waste of time and I'm not heading to Manitoba anytime soon lol

To give you an idea more big Lakers have come out of ghost then spray

Spray has the smallest Lakers out of any lake I have targeted them

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

To give you an idea more big Lakers have come out of ghost then spray

Spray has the smallest Lakers out of any lake I have targeted them

I believe you. But I'd rather catch something than one fish per season...

[raw outdoors]

This is the deepest area of spray lake. Sorry this map isn’t the best but it’s better than that old pink thing. It’s hard to Navagate with this map I usually use the shorline land marks to try line up and to get into the correct spot.

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by raw outdoors

This is the deepest area of spray lake. Sorry this map isn’t the best but it’s better than that old pink thing. It’s hard to Navagate with this map I usually use the shorline land marks to try line up and to get into the correct spot.

Thank you, I got it. Much easier than turning the lake into swiss cheese with my hand auger lol. Is there a spot to park on the road or do I have to make the apparent 2 km hike on the lake from the area above?

[alc1966]

I have been using this website and app on my iphone to find structure. You can measure distances and headings from shore, or use the iphone gps to pinpoint where you are on a lake in relation to the contour lines. Its a paid subscription app. I thought I would give it a try this year, and finding it beneficial, and pretty accurate. Might be helpful on Spray finding the contours.

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by alc1966

I have been using this website and app on my iphone to find structure. You can measure distances and headings from shore, or use the iphone gps to pinpoint where you are on a lake in relation to the contour lines. Its a paid subscription app. I thought I would give it a try this year, and finding it beneficial, and pretty accurate. Might be helpful on Spray finding the contours.

Thank you. I might actually give it a go...so far I forked out for ihunter and it was worth every penny!
P.S. now that I think of it, my fish finder is a garmin and I'm almost sure it came with navionics...

[Bjoe]

Not sure when the depth charts were created but for the water is much lower than it once was. As a kid we used to fish right off the dam at the North end and that area has been dry for many years.

Additionally the water depth does fluctuate.

One of the deepest areas is out off sparrow hawk, but I haven’t seen any advantage to fishing it.

As someone has already mentioned look for structure to find fish.

We do pretty well in 60 to 70 feet of water but we do have specific spots we fish.

Good luck and tight lines.

[fishgod]

Was out there last weekend and caught my fair share of lakers. I was fishing in about 110-115ft. parked a little before sparrowhawk and walked down from there. In the summer while boating, I've found as deep as 160 ft, but the water was also 15 feet higher then. I did catch a larger than average laker in about 20ft while going for whitefish on a scud. Suprised to pull that one out

[Sundancefisher]

Fish 60-80 feet
Drop small jig with smelt on and leave suspended 3 feet off bottom
Set line two the same
Get there at dawn
Watch for bites
If action heats up. Soft jigging. If on fire hard jogging

If catch nothing go to Chain.

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Fish 60-80 feet
Drop small jig with smelt on and leave suspended 3 feet off bottom
Set line two the same
Get there at dawn
Watch for bites
If action heats up. Soft jigging. If on fire hard jogging

If catch nothing go to Chain.

Thank you!
I seems like I was looking for the wrong depths, all the action was in about 16 ft of water lol.
Got my rockie limit and 2 trouts in 3 hours.
Biggest trout was ~ 50 cm
Biggest rockie was ~ 39 cm
Had a big trout snap my line and lost a couple of rockies by the hole. Time to up that 4 lbs leader 😁

[Surfnturf]

Today's catch in 16 ft of water...😅

https://app.photobucket.com/images/i...O-pklIJz6~iQ__

https://app.photobucket.com/images/i...gLnTJepjAmoA__

[SouthWestRanger]

I always fishing 30 or under at spray because I’m usually trying for whitefish and Lakers, always catch a few Lakers and usually a limit of rockies

[thumper]

I used to icefish Spray a lot in the early 80s, and then a couple of times a winter until just a couple of years ago. My most productive spot was the most difficult to get to; park at Buller Creek, hike down the creek to the mouth, cross the lake and fish off the point near the dam. Bring a compass and take a bearing back to where you entered the lake - if the wind comes up, you can walk in circles on that rez. It's deep there, a sharp drop off, and some current. I'd use 1/2 a frozen smelt, with a dropper weight. Bounce the weight off the bottom now & again to stir up the mud. Often we'd thread the smelt on the hook using a threader, and jig the smelt, - they hit on the drop. Sometimes I'd clip a margarine tub lid onto the end of the rod to flap around in the wind and give a tiny jiggle action to the bait, but usually just dead-stick. Sometimes drop down a wabler or huge spoon without any hooks, bounce it off the bottom and rip it up and down to create some flash - imitating a fish snooting and feeding in the mud. I've never had any luck jigging a Cicada, spoon, or helicopter-type lure. I don't think they're very predatory in Spray - they don't seem to want to chase down food. I've only seen small bugs in their stomachs.

If you're interested in whitefish, tie on a pheasant-tail nymph, or blood-worm about 2 ft above your smelt - tipped with a single maggot. Personally, I prefer my whitefish on a fly-rod, in the summer & fall, on the Bow!

We usually caught a few - better size than at Driftwood. But it's a long hike. As mentioned, Minnewanka has much bigger lakers - even the Upper Bow River has much bigger lakers. I've tried Ghost a few times, but have never caught a fish there.

Wapiti Sports in Canmore does guided ice-fishing in huts on the lake, and they seem to catch fish every day. They're pricey, but run a great experience for people. At the Canmore shop, they're usually pretty free with advice - stop by there - and pay close attention! Good luck.

[Surfnturf]

Originally Posted by thumper

I used to icefish Spray a lot in the early 80s, and then a couple of times a winter until just a couple of years ago. My most productive spot was the most difficult to get to; park at Buller Creek, hike down the creek to the mouth, cross the lake and fish off the point near the dam. Bring a compass and take a bearing back to where you entered the lake - if the wind comes up, you can walk in circles on that rez. It's deep there, a sharp drop off, and some current. I'd use 1/2 a frozen smelt, with a dropper weight. Bounce the weight off the bottom now & again to stir up the mud. Often we'd thread the smelt on the hook using a threader, and jig the smelt, - they hit on the drop. Sometimes I'd clip a margarine tub lid onto the end of the rod to flap around in the wind and give a tiny jiggle action to the bait, but usually just dead-stick. Sometimes drop down a wabler or huge spoon without any hooks, bounce it off the bottom and rip it up and down to create some flash - imitating a fish snooting and feeding in the mud. I've never had any luck jigging a Cicada, spoon, or helicopter-type lure. I don't think they're very predatory in Spray - they don't seem to want to chase down food. I've only seen small bugs in their stomachs.

If you're interested in whitefish, tie on a pheasant-tail nymph, or blood-worm about 2 ft above your smelt - tipped with a single maggot. Personally, I prefer my whitefish on a fly-rod, in the summer & fall, on the Bow!

We usually caught a few - better size than at Driftwood. But it's a long hike. As mentioned, Minnewanka has much bigger lakers - even the Upper Bow River has much bigger lakers. I've tried Ghost a few times, but have never caught a fish there.

Wapiti Sports in Canmore does guided ice-fishing in huts on the lake, and they seem to catch fish every day. They're pricey, but run a great experience for people. At the Canmore shop, they're usually pretty free with advice - stop by there - and pay close attention! Good luck.

Thanks again for all the great info!
I agree with the not predatory part but in my opinion that is just how winter is with most fish, their metabolism slows and they get "lazier", preferring smaller, or slower targets.
I'll try to show the local shop some love too !

[TippyCanoe]

I’ve never targeted the whitefish before but will try next time I’m at Spray. What’s everyone using to target them? Small jigs, flies, wire worms, maggots?

[VaryJ]

Originally Posted by Surfnturf

Thank you, I got it. Much easier than turning the lake into swiss cheese with my hand auger lol. Is there a spot to park on the road or do I have to make the apparent 2 km hike on the lake from the area above?

Swiss cheese lol. So do I everyone an apology for the 30 holes I drilled there on Jan 16 west side lake off the northwest point? (I was the guy in the orange coveralls)

I was trying a new technique I heard of called ice trolling. Drill holes 10-20 feet apart. Work each hole 5 minutes or less and follow structure. Deep to shallow. Or along the length of it. Our deepest hole was ~80 feet and our shallowest was 15. We didnt get anything on the flasher or ice cam. Came out of there all day and left with one rocky. He was delicious btw. Baked simple. Peeled out the meat. Little fresh lemon juice on it then put it on some toast. Reminded me of halibut. But no lake trout.

The village of shacks in the north. What are they all after?

This was my first trip to Spray and asking my Northern Ontario father what do for Lakers through ice he suggested 20 feet of water, first thing AM, a few different tackle options, along a structure, drop-off, point kind of thing. But I feel confused a bit to heard everyone is going straight for deepest spots to get them. Maybe its a more sterile lake than the ones in Northern Ontario and they feed deep, not shallow water?

[VaryJ]

Originally Posted by TippyCanoe

I’ve never targeted the whitefish before but will try next time I’m at Spray. What’s everyone using to target them? Small jigs, flies, wire worms, maggots?

The one we caught was on a prince nymph with a single egg with a split spot ~ 24" up the line, right on the bottom but high enough he could see it I guess. They ignored our 2 different swedish pimples with maggots or wax worms OR an egg.