Geologic Feature across from Monkey Rock

Unless the water was way down like it was during the third week of July when I was at the Cabonga I don't think this would ever get noticed.

Now, I am no geologist but this is some influx of rock material, obviously of a differet consistency and make up then the surrounding rock.

Cabonga Water level as of 8/17/2010

Capacity: 360.88
Current: 358.11
Difference: 2.77 m
Lake Level: Still 9.09 feet down - No change!

Cabonga Water level as of 8/11/2010

Capacity: 360.88
Current: 358.11
Difference: 2.77 m
Lake Level: Still 9.09 feet down - No change!

I was looking through my pictures for past trips and I think back in 1999 or 2000 Cabonga was around this depth once.  I recall meeting this retired guy from South Carolina by the name of Lou who drove up every year and spent a couple of weeks at DHL and had a chart of the lake water depth spanning multiple years.  Of course his gripe with the low water was that it was harder to fish but from what we saw when we were there, while we got skunked a few days, when we were catching Walleyes, we were catching Walleyes!

I think Cabonga has definitely turned the corner as a Walleye fishery because Walleye fishing is getting better and better now.  Just look at all the big Walleyes being caught at DHL this past year as proof in the pudding.  I wonder if competition for forage fish is so fierce now that the Walleye populations are out pacing pike reproduction and that is why the pike fishery is in a state of decline.  While we weren't necessarily fishing for pike we were amazed at how few we caught this trip.

I might have mentioned this last week but I thought I would show you some examples of what 2 feet down would sort of look like.  Going to Stern's pass, you have to pass through this tight channel that I call the Water Falls.  In the picture below, this is in 3 feet of water.  Now imagine this section 2 feet shallower!  Yikes!

Cabonga Water level as of 8/03/2010

Capacity: 360.88
Current: 358.11
Difference: 2.77 m
Lake Level: 9.09 feet down!

Doesn't seem that DHL hasn't updated their website because on the English page they are still saying Lake Level is 5 feets down but on the french side there is bit more information:

Niveau du réservoir Cabonga = 5 pieds sous la normale et il baisse tout les jours.

Barrage Barrière ouvert!

La pêche aux doré est très bonne de la pointe aux Iroquois jusqu'au barrage.

Which translates to:

Cabonga level = 5 feet below normal and down every day.

Dam Gate open!

The walleye fishing is very good Point Iroquois to the dam

Regardless, they are almost off by half.  When I was there, it was up 2 feet then what I am reporting now which means WaWa pass is probably closed and getting to Sterns, you might want to bring a big pole.

What I would like to see is if someone could make an interactive GPS map of the lake that you could set the surface level of and thus get a feeling for what the lake is really like.

A word from Steve Hamel former owner of Deer Horn Lodge

Steve is handing over the reigns of Deer Horn Lodge on August 1st and I thought I would reprint his farewell speech so that it will be forever immortalized in the Interwebs.

There always be something inherently magical about fishing the Cabonga Reservoir.

I've spend the last 3 decades fishing all over this spectacular area, 37 original natural lakes connecting one another, so much water you couldn't fish it all in a hundred lifetimes. Over 400 KM square of water seemingly endless, the most beautifull lake in Quebec Province!

Over the years I have caught numbers of fish and big ones! Many walleyes over 10 pounds, several pikes over 25 pounds and a few lake trout monsters over 30 pounds, the fish grow big and strong in the Cabonga!

My mission at Deer Horn Lodge was to offer a great fishing destination very accessible, with good accomodations and a great service. After all those years I can honestly say ''mission accomplished''!

From every aspect, fishing is true paradise at Deer Horn Lodge, one of the last true outfitter remaining in this modern, space aged world.

It was hard to convince people on how good the place is,  but those that once experienced it returned years after years and some months after months. Most of them became good friends and I want to special thank everyone who beleived in me and my family.

After 3 decades i am leaving the place in good hands, Sebastien Hamel who is my cousin is taking over, he is a passionate and love the outdoors, especialy walleye fishing. Sebastien will keep provinding you with the best accommodations and services that you were used to. The Hamel tradition a Deer Horn Lodge will continue!

A big thank you to all of my customers & friends.

Yours in good fishing.

Steve Hamel

Cabonga Water level as of 7/27/2010

Capacity: 360.88
Current: 358.22
Difference: 2.66 m
Level Level: 8.73 feet down!

Found this little warning on the Réserve faunique La Vérendrye Sepaq Website:

I am still looking for some more up to date pix from the reservoir.  If anyone has any, let me know.

Cabonga Water level as of 7/20/2010

Capacity: 360.88
Current: 358.40
Difference: 2.48 m
Level Level: 8.14 feet down!

It's still going down and almost another foot from the previous week! Yikes. I don't think you are getting through Wa Wa pass unless you have a canoe. You probably could get down to the big water via Stern's Pass but it will be a slow go. The first time I went to DHL, a woman who has accompanied her husband up there since the 50s or 60s said at the narrowest point on the route to Sterns Pass, when the water was low enough, it was like a water fall or rapid (see image below). I could see that with the way the rocks are situated in there. To get to that point, I think the level has to go down to 10 or 11 feet, which according to Steve Hamel, it got to that point in 2000.

Cabonga Water level as of 7/13/2010

Capacity:  360.88
Current:    358.70
Difference:    2.18 m
Level Level:  7.15 feet down!

One thing is for sure, low water is great for walleye fishing, however, to get to the big water to fish for lake trout, unless there is another way to get down there from DHL, 2 meters is probably the absolute minimum.

Last Walleye of the Trip

Here is my last walleye caught in Burns Bay.

Rocks and Props don't mix!

Here is the damage from Sunday.

More shots around Deer Horn Lodge

Deer Horn's boat parking is on the south side of penninsula. Water
must be down 7 feet now, although the website says it's only down 5.
Apparently they are slowing down the draining. Still, with the water
this low it could be a year or two before it's back up to full
capacity. Let's hope they have a lot of snow this winter.

Shore Lunch at Flick's Island (Burns Bay)

The lone walleye we caught today was eaten on Flick's island.

Another great day of Walleye fishing

Caught around 10 Walleye today between my father and I. Lost a few at
the boat, and kept 4 to finish out our limit! Catching them in 10
feet of water on worm rigs with bottom bouncers and ripping them
through the weeds. Caught another little pike in a place that we call
Snag City, one of the bays due north of Monkey Rock. Also caught a
small blue walleye. I have caught some blue walleyes here before but
they are always small.

Tomorrow we go for Trophy Pike!

Limit on Lakers

Caught some more lakers today. We are now at our limit of 4 fish.

Deer Horn Lodge Heli Pad

Some natural resources exploration company is surveying this section
of Quebec looking for different types of resources to exploit. I
think, once in the late 80s we saw a float plane at Deer Horn.

Fire in La Reserve Faunique La Verendrye

While trolling up Sterns Pass I noticed smoke coming from the ridge on
the other side of the Big Water. Looks like a little more than a camp
fire.

Navigating through the falls.

On my first trip to Deer Horn Lodge a woman that had been coming up to
DHL since the 1950s told me in the early days that this narrow section
between Baie Cox and Sterns Passage used to be a dramatic change in
water level, so much so that she called it a waterfall. Traveling
through there today, I could see how she would have throught that
because of all the huge rocks in there. We got through, although on
the way back our electric trolling motor stopped working, it won't
turn from side to side. Still get thrust though.