Eagle River Fishing Trip | Recommended Fishing Trips

Date of Trip: End of May
Fish Location: 4 to 8 feet of water around points and trees
Best Baits: Crankbaits, Leeches
Fish Targeted: Walleye
Trip Highlights: 5# Smallmouth Bass, 23" Walleye, 22.5" Walleye
Lodging: Cranberry Inn Resort
Some Pictures From The Trip

I loved the Eagle River area. Gorgeous scenery, enough places to eat, even a nice coffee shop
with free Internet access. It was only about a 6 and half hour drive from Chicago, which wasn't too
bad.

We targeted walleye using mostly crankbaits and leeches. I did catch a nice 23" walleye on a chub
and quite a bunch of walleye in the 16 to 21"" range. Targeting points just before dark was key to
our success with fish coming in bunches at this time. I think I had 6 or 7 hits from walleye within 10
casts at one point. Overall, I caught about 6 to 8 walleye per day with a few nice crappie and
smallmouth bass mixed in. I didn't fish for muskie, which the Eagle River Chain is known for.

Free falling leeches with a single hook, 4# test line and an ultra light also worked very well for
walleye in about 4 to 5 feet of water. I was only there for 2 and a half days and I didn't use a guide
at all. With a good boat, fishermen can easily catch fish here. There are many different lakes to
fish on the chain, so you may want a boat that can get you around the different lakes.

My Recommendation: It was definitely a nice getaway and I would go back. We were only there for 3
days without a guide and we caught some nice fish. The regulations for the walleye were kind of wacky
when I was there. I think it was only 2 per day and there was a slot. Check for yourself before you go. I
stayed at the Cranberry Inn Resort. Fairly small rooms, small kitchen, nice deck off the back though
where I saw numerous deer. A great place if you're looking to plan a fishing trip on a budget. I was able
to start a fire down by the water and the boat launch was about a mile away. We launched, then
brought the boat over to the dock at the resort.

Eagle River Fishing Trip
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