Lake Newell REPORT

[graybeard]

Too bad there isn't a sticky for fishing reports on bodies of water. So until then, let me be the first to try.
Guys please keep it civil and report the fishing, water conditions, problems etc....
Thanks and good luck.

[Crazy Horse]

fishing’s been slow for me there. I’ve been going to rolling hills or crawling valley for more consistent fishing. Not the same quality of fish in those though.

[raw outdoors]

Fish there last weekend had 20 fish 10/walleye / 10 pike from 6am-9am tried again in the evening exact same setup not one fish.

[fish99]

the bite was on today

[oilngas]

Thanks fish99 very helpful!!

[Cruiser]

I was out yesterday afternoon... fishing was great... caught 7 walleye and 8 pike in 4 hours.
8 lbs pike and 7.3 lbs walleye were the biggest.

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by raw outdoors

Fish there last weekend had 20 fish 10/walleye / 10 pike from 6am-9am tried again in the evening exact same setup not one fish.

I’ve been out 3 nights in a row, from around 7pm each night, and maybe a bite but after around 6 hours with nothing I’m about to snap my rod, lol.
After thinking about it, I’ve never had much evening action here, yet I’ve only been out in the evening maybe a dozen or so times.
I’ve had best luck bottom bouncing with a minnow, next good ole jig with minnow.

Anyone have any tips? Depths? Tackle? I scouted big time before this trip and been fishing nearly every drop off on the north end. Focusing first on ones connected to flats or saddles. Even tried some mid lake humps tonight.
Maybe I just need to get out earlier. I’ve been trolling from .5 mph to 1.5. I’ve yet to see someone anchor and jig here. Water is pretty thick with algae for as clear as this lake is. Also this smoke blurs any notion of time of day.

[Chris.Desl]

Heading to Newell with my boat for the first time, would appreciate any pike tips
Thx

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by Chris.Desl

Heading to Newell with my boat for the first time, would appreciate any pike tips

Thx

Try the bays, there’s a good one a lil bit south of the launch.
With the weather forecast, and on any other day, keep an eye on the sky. It can get seriously nasty in no time flat. If you see black clouds coming, don’t wait it out, head in right away.

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by PlayDoh

Try the bays, there’s a good one a lil bit south of the launch.
With the weather forecast, and on any other day, keep an eye on the sky. It can get seriously nasty in no time flat. If you see black clouds coming, don’t wait it out, head in right away.

Yup, very dangerous lake to be on when the wind starts blowing. Even if you're in a decent sized boat.

[shootermcgavin]

Is Newell Lake fishable from shore?

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by shootermcgavin

Is Newell Lake fishable from shore?

The headgates and the boat launch area aren't bad. If fishing from shore I'd recommend driving a few km down the road and fishing Rolling Hills Reservoir.

[PlayDoh]

I should add the water was 22° according to my sonar, and it’s the warmest I’ve ever felt here. Maybe by evening it’s just too warm for them?

[deschambault]

My wife and I filled our walleye tags a couple of weeks ago with 23" or so eyes but had a huge one on that jumped before the boat.

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by deschambault

My wife and I filled our walleye tags a couple of weeks ago with 23" or so eyes but had a huge one on that jumped before the boat.

Can I ask what you were using? Trolling? Depth?
We got skunked again today, and it was hard to swallow. Had one that broke off at the hook, tied with 20 pound fluorocarbon. Just added insult to injury. I haven’t been skunked for years, and I have a good $2000 in tackle I’ve been going through. Trolling cranks, jigs, bottom bouncers with minnows.

Seen a guy catch one today, yet they didn’t get anything else for the next hour either.

[HappyShootMore]

Originally Posted by PlayDoh

Can I ask what you were using? Trolling? Depth?
We got skunked again today, and it was hard to swallow. Had one that broke off at the hook, tied with 20 pound fluorocarbon. Just added insult to injury. I haven’t been skunked for years, and I have a good $2000 in tackle I’ve been going through. Trolling cranks, jigs, bottom bouncers with minnows.

Seen a guy catch one today, yet they didn’t get anything else for the next hour either.

Today, I was trolling in 18-24ft tugging along some walleye delights with nightcrawlers. No problem hooking in some decent walleye. In 5hrs, 15 fish. Mostly walleye.

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by HappyShootMore

Today, I was trolling in 18-24ft tugging along some walleye delights with nightcrawlers. No problem hooking in some decent walleye. In 5hrs, 15 fish. Mostly walleye.

Awesome bud, thanks. I was thinking of trying some spinner rigs. I don’t have any delights, but I can tie something together that should make do.
I should have tried the leeches I had, I have some pumpkin powerbait ones that probably would have looked enough like a worm. Might have to head in to town and grab some real ones.
Thanks again man, much appreciated.

How fast were you trolling? I was sticking around 1mph, .8-1.5 ish. After this long with no fish I’ve started to second guess everything I know. lol

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by HappyShootMore

Today, I was trolling in 18-24ft tugging along some walleye delights with nightcrawlers. No problem hooking in some decent walleye. In 5hrs, 15 fish. Mostly walleye.

I’ve never used a walleye delight, but reading there description looks like there’s no weights on them. I imagine your adding your own. Do you use a 3-way swivel or just one at the top of the rig?
Have an extra seat in your boat? lol. Just kidding. If you see a guy staring at you, while trolling 10 feet beside or behind you, that’ll be me.

[PlayDoh]

I’ve had people come and anchor 6 feet from me at pigeon. Just last trip this guy was drifting right at us, till I asked him if he knew his anchor wasn’t holding. He tried to tell me I was wrong, despite his anchor line hanging straight down, and his boat facing the opposite direction as the rest of us. lol.

But ya, I’m not ‘that guy’. I did see a bunch of boats in a group somewhat near the resort, and headed over to see what was up. I seen a guy start putting his rod away, and briefly thought about joining the crowd, until I noticed they were all F&W and search and rescue and they were sadly fishing for the poor guy who drowned last weekend. Pretty sad story. 22 year old lost his life trying to recover a dinghy.
This lake sure has its share of tragedies.

Thanks once again, and good luck to you as well. I actually caught a huge clam today. Thing was like 5-6 inches wide, and I snagged it with my bottom bouncer somehow. I gave it to the mussel inspection girls.

[PlayDoh]

Well, I finally found some today. Got 2 eyes one 5 lbs one 6. I found them further off shore and deeper. I found them between 20 and 30 feet, at the shallow end of a steep(ish) drop off.
I got them both on a plain walleye rig, minnow, bottom Bouncing. Doing .8 MPh, and 1km from shore around a cabbage patch on top of a small-mid sized hump. North end.
Both takes were pretty weak, and from morning till dinner time, 2 trips, I seen over a half dozen boats, but only 3 fish caught. So I wasn’t the only one finding it slow. Today was also the first day, after 5 days here that you could actually barely see a cloud and a bit of blue in the sky, so the Armageddon smoke sky might have played a part. The sunlight has certainly been shifted to the red and looks like the moon in the sky.
Hoping the clearing keeps up.

[wwbirds]

will be there tomorrow. Having problems with electric motor so will only be fishing from shore

[laker taker2]

Anyone been out to Newell recently? Wondering if the bite is decent.
I fished mcgregor on sept 25 and it was great. Lots of action all day with a few big ones mixed in. Then I went back out this past Thursday and it had shut right off. After the last cold snap water temp was down 13 degrees.
Deciding whether I go give Newell one last day this week or put my boat away.......

[fish99]

Originally Posted by laker taker2

Anyone been out to Newell recently? Wondering if the bite is decent.
I fished mcgregor on sept 25 and it was great. Lots of action all day with a few big ones mixed in. Then I went back out this past Thursday and it had shut right off. After the last cold snap water temp was down 13 degrees.
Deciding whether I go give Newell one last day this week or put my boat away.......

was at newell on Friday, it slooooowed way down from two weeks ago when we could not keep them off our line.on Friday the largest pike was 42 inches and 21 lbs, largest walleye was 5 lbs , no where near the numbers we caught 2 weeks ago.

[Wes_G]

Originally Posted by fish99

was at newell on Friday, it slooooowed way down from two weeks ago when we could not keep them off our line.on Friday the largest pike was 42 inches and 21 lbs, largest walleye was 5 lbs , no where near the numbers we caught 2 weeks ago.

I was out Thursday till sunday, what boat were you in?


Was slow for us every day as well, I am talking hours between fish.

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by laker taker2

Anyone been out to Newell recently? Wondering if the bite is decent.
I fished mcgregor on sept 25 and it was great. Lots of action all day with a few big ones mixed in. Then I went back out this past Thursday and it had shut right off. After the last cold snap water temp was down 13 degrees.
Deciding whether I go give Newell one last day this week or put my boat away.......

Not sure if the walleye move the same down south in the lakes and reservoirs but in northern Alberta (Pigeon north) I have fished a few lakes in the fall. When the water cools the walleye will be on the sharpest drops into the main basin.

Not to good if you are in a catch/release only lake as the fish will be spread out from 15 or so feet all the way down the drop to around 40. Fish down to about 20-25 feet are all right but any deeper and you will have to leave them or try different times of day when they come shallower. Live releasing walleye caught deeper than 25ft can be really tough on them and most won't survive.