Without a doubt, the fishing on Esnagami Lake is founded upon the abundant and seasonally consistent walleye. With incredible spring fishing, especially at the outflow of the Esnagami River, consistent mid-lake / main-lake walleye angling in mid-summer, and predictable success into September, most guests take advantage of Esnagami’s great walleye fishing sometime during their stay.
With Esnagami Wilderness Lodge being the only camp on the lake, the walleye fishery is pretty much untapped and continues to show signs of improving. Several fish in excess of thirty inches are caught each season, with most being released by conservation-minded guests. Average walleyes range from 16 to 22 inches and limit catches are the norm. The lodge provides up-to-date advice and an excellent fishing map to assist during the orientation session.
Proven ways to fish Esnagami Lake walleyes involve either trolling or drifting live-bait rigs along the lake’s many hard-bottom areas. Popular rigs include snelled rigs (Lindy rigs, floating jigs), worm harnesses and spinner rigs. Tipped with a minnow in early season or a night crawler during the summer months, live-bait rigs will tempt finicky walleyes throughout the day at Esnagami Lake. In this clear-water lake, the use of light line and minimal terminal tackle will improve catches significantly.
A second effective approach for Esnagami Lake walleyes involves trolling minnow-imitating body baits or weight-forward spinners tipped with a worm over rocky bottoms and across fast-breaking points. Early in the day and during the evening, many of the lodge regulars chose to troll Rapalas, Rebels, Bombers, etc. close to fast-breaking shorelines. Jigs worked well along steep breaks, on tapering points, over shoals, along weedlines, and in current flows.