The Best Lake for a 50" + Trophy Muskie - Lake Manitou in Ontario returns to its Glory

Back in 1989 a Record Size Muskie was caught photographed and released at Manitou Lake. The fish was caught on a Mepps Syclops Spoon, and was featured on the cover of the Mepps Magazine for 1991. The fish was not weighed because it was caught before the Muskie Season Opened. The fish was measured at 62 inches which is depending on which fish you say is the World Record, is 1/2 to 2 inches smaller. The angler was fishing for pike when he hooked the beast of Moser Bay. It is possible that this is the TRUE World Record, since many of the Muskies from the 30's, 40's and into the 50's have proven to be faked or weight added.

I talked extensively on this trip with Dave Korzinski the man who guided for what I call the Mepps Muskie. Dave's stories on the lake are legendary, and since he has been guiding on the lake since he was 15 he is probably an expert on Musky on the 3 lakes that make up the Manitou Chain. Dave tells a tale of a lake that has rebounded from its hey day numbers in the Late 70's and Early 80's when every angler had a 2 fish daily limit and most took that limit "HOME". I am not sure if it was for the meat, or for the trophies but Musky was the main attraction at this lodge in July and August when temperatures on the lake reach their zenith.

Today Dave believes that the fishing on Lake Manitou is back to the levels of the 70's and 80's and he talks extensively about this. He even believes that a rival to the Mepps Muskie is in the lake and talks about evidence of a larger Musky left on a dead Pike he found on the lake with a customer. The Pike was a 28 incher and the tooth marks on the fish were 7 inches apart. It would take a Muskie with a 9" across head to leave teeth marks that wide. Figure that that is 1/3 of the fish's girth at the head and you get a 27 inch girth at the head, and nearly 35 at the Fattest. This fish would most likely be in the high 50 inch length mark and most probably in to the 60 inch length mark. I can verify some of what Dave said. One pike of around 24 inches that we caught had a large

The Mepps Muskie.. NOTICE how far around the guide the tail goes. The picture is deceptive until you look at the way the fish wraps around the Guide. Angler is Dave Gamske
Photo Courtesy of Mepps Company

gash in its side and the teeth marks appeared to be at least 7 inches apart.. but as the fish was alive we returned it to the water without much thought at the time of the size of the bite marks or the predator.

Could any of these fish be Pike? It is a possibility since a 56 inch Pike was apparently caught on Rainy Lake which Lake Manitou flows into 50 miles down the lake. However Manitou has never produced a pike of that size, while it has produced Muskie over 60 inches.

On our first trip to Green Island in 2002 I believe we may have seen that Mepps Muskie though it would have lived 13 more years since the original catch when it was 62 inches or longer. While fishing in Moser Bay Peter Maloney, suggested we go fish over by "THAT LOG". Since this is a shield lake the idea of a log in the water seemed strange.. unless it was sunk there. I turned to look and asked Peter where the "Log" was. Peter looked and as he did the "log" swam away. How big would a fish that was 62 inches in 1989 be 13 years later? Dave Korsinski estimates 1/2 inch growth per year, making the fish around 68 inches and definitely big enough to break the World Record. It has been another 5 years since and I would have to believe at this point the Beast of Moser Bay is dead.. though if she is not she would be in the 70 inch range. Who knows how long a Musky can live in these deep clear waters that have Lake Trout and Whitefish for the Muskies to eat.

How clean is the water on Green Island? Well the water for the lodge is pumped from the lake and when I am thirsty and want something to drink, I simply take a cup and dip water out of the lake. Ice for the lodge is harvested from the Lake most years and kept in an old fashioned Ice House right at the waters edge. This clean clear water makes for healthy fish and longevity. Then there is genetics. This lake has probably produced more 50" musky than any other except maybe Lake of the Woods and only because it is almost double the size of the 3 Manitou Lakes joined. ( The lakes used to be 3 seperate lakes. In the 30's in order to be able to move timber the lower Manitou Lake was dammed and the levels of the lakes raised 8 feet making the small passes between the lakes level with the one behind it. Today the lakes are considered to be one lake.)

The lake produces trophies of other species as well, evidenced by my 31 inch Walleye I caught within site of the lodge fishing for Muskie and a 40 inch Pike. The walleye was for Canada an exceptional catch. This fish was estimated at over 14 pounds. It is one of the largest ever caught at Green Island Lodge. (According to the staff.. unofficial of course as no records have been kept in the past other than the yearly log of BIG fish. Walleye are not a native species to this lake. Walleye were stocked either by a man at Gold Camp years ago who loved Walleye and wanted them in Manitou, or by a Canadian Stocking Plane that landed on Moser Bay by accident.. take your pick as both are local legends. Either way the number of walleye on this lake is small but almost all of the fish caught are in the 8 + pound range.

A few words about our hosts at Green Island Lodge. Mike Korzinski and his family provide excellent service and the lodge itself is fantastic. The entire lodge was built by Mike's father and another man back in the late 50's. All of the logs and wood for the lodge and cabins were harvested locally and for most of the 50 years of the lodge electricity was provided by a generator. Today a new Solar Panel Provides most of the electricity for the lodge.

The lodge prepares all of your meals for you. The real treat

Author Catches A Trophy Walleye

is the home made bread that Claudette, Mike's wife makes 2 or 3 times per week. The food is as good as you will find at a Fly In Lodge in Canada. Breakfast is always at 7AM and you have your choices of Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Cereal, Oatmeal, Red River Cereal, pancakes, French Toast, and plenty of hot coffee is ready for your morning. Lunch is prepared by the staff if you want sandwiches or you can do a Shore Lunch which is prepared by the guides. You catch some Lake Trout, Smallmouth and Pike and the guides cook them for you at lunch with potatoe's and bacon, beans and that wonderful home made bread.

Lunch on the Fire

Vince Prepping the taters and the onions

The finished product

Dinners are a gourmet treat. Everything from Pork Chops to Steak and chicken. The lodge provides excellent food and friendly people for your trip. The Cabins are extremely nice and comfortable with wood stoves for heat when it is cool. The beds are excellent and made by the staff each day. This is a World Class Lodge in the woods in my humble opinion.

IF you want that 50" Muskie, your best bet is Green Island Lodge on Lake Manitou in Canada. The catch ratio here is excellent and a real chance for a World Record Musky exists.

Breakfast at Green Island Lodge

Jim Dicken
Article Sponsors Dave's Bait and Tackle and Punisher Lures.
These companies provided baits for the trip.

Green Island Lodge - The Trip Exceeds the Dream at this World Class Fly In Fishing Lodge.