What a year of surprises, and broken hearts - this beautiful lake is dead for Trout - yes, there are a few 'big ones' in there but as a seasoned and avid trout angler I am done with Curlew - I fished for 12 days - hard, and literally fished at all hours and literally threw the tackle box at the lake with not even a 'bite'. Yes, there are stories of muskie predators, bass preditors but the truth is this lake has been severaly 'MISMANAGED' and the people at Curlew, Republic along with us avoid Trout fisherman are the losers. Learned while at Curlew for two weeks there was a deluge of Muskies with the State dumping in another 500 just several months ago - I guess you know the rest of the story.
It is very sad to report this for I looked forward to my trip to Curlew every year - taking my wife's beautiful flies and catching some nice ones to fry and smoke and enjoy - not happening this year and didn't happen last year. This years trout came from Ferry - nice tasty 12 inchers - nothing like we used to catch at Curlew...
I don't understand how someone who knows anything about fish would release 10s of 1000s of fingerlings knowing that they won't be able to hit the deep but will be in the shallows - great feed for the muskies and bass - the few, and I mean very few, that do survive will hang down deep and die of old age I guess.
Maybe in a couple of years the lake can come back - lets all hope so

Tight lines to all,

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