Whitefish Fishing
Whitefish are a resource that not many people take advantage of. They are a super-hard fighting fish and a ton of fun to catch, especially if you have the kids with you. They are also a delicious fish if you cook them correctly.
From ice-out until the second week in June, there are countless numbers of Whitefish just under the surface of the water waiting for the May Fly Hatch. On a sunny day they may go deeper but generally on a calm evening in protected bays you can catch tons of them with a fly and fly-fishing rod. You can also catch Whitefish casting tiny spinners or use small hooks with a wax worm of small piece of night crawler. In the spring or fall, another option that is quite successful is trolling with a #5 or #7 floating rapalas in 6 to 12 ft of water along rocky shorelines. In the spring, it is a good idea to find where the wind is blowing the May Fly hatch toward the shoreline as this is where the Whitefish are surfacing and feeding. Whitefish in Prairie Bee Lake have been known to reach 10 pounds even though the most common size is around 3 pounds. After the May Fly Hatch they go deep and stay deep until they come into the shallows to spawn in the fall.
Traditionally people always smoked whitefish because they taste fishy. In fact, there are better ways to cook them and make the fish taste great. You may want to try and catch a couple if you book with us in the spring. Clean the fish like a Walleye and poach the meat for about three minutes in boiling water. Take the fish out of the water and place the fillets on a cookie sheet or some foil. Melt some butter and add Oregano, salt and garlic and smear on top of the fillet and then broil. You can also put Kraft Sun Dried Tomato and Oregano dressing on the fillet and then broil. Breading or deep frying Whitefish like you would with Walleye is another enjoyable way to eat Whitefish especially when they are caught fresh for a shore lunch. Cut into 2-1/2 inch wide strips and then fry.
