Gimli will work. This is what I will say about Chalet beach during any Feb and especially March weekend. It get’s crowded. Lots of people access at Chalet, and the parking can get congested. Sometimes they have a large area on the ice to park – but it still gets really crowded – if I was headed for Chalet beach on a March weekend, I would be at Chalet at LEAST an hour before sunrise, get your vehicle parked, and facing the right way so you drive straight out when you want to leave.
But I would not put in at Chalet on a March weekend, a couple miles north of there is a place Called Mattlocks. From nobody, to very few get on the lake at Mattlocks. You will NOT be able to drive a pickup onto the ice there – which I never do. I ride my quad on the lake, and park my pickup on dry land. So I would put in at Mattlocks and be fine arriving a half hour before sunrise. Not as crowded.
Staying in Gimli I would only consider accessing the lake from the west side – it’s too far of a drive to get to the east, or south east access by land. Even if you wanted to fish the east side – which there will be no reason to – ride the snowmobile across.
If you run a quad with tracks like me – carry extra gas. A snowmobile or quad on wheels should be fine on a full tank for the day. I need some extra gas at times, but keep in mind I move a lot. Some days I will put on 65+ miles in the south basin.
I have been told by MNR to have a helmet, as others have, but not been ticketed. Wear a helmet. I have not been asked for a snopass – I think that only applies for groomed trails, not public land. I have not been asked for insurance, but you would want to have than anyway I would think. I have it, just never been asked for it.
It’s been my experience you WILL be checked by the MNR on your trip in March. It’s simple, just be legal, all the time, and don’t worry about it. If a lure is hooked up to a rod, the barbs have to be pinched. The ones in your tackle box don’t need to be pinched. When you realize the MNR is going to check you – believe me, it’s already to late to do anything about it. The MNR is really good about setting up some where when you are right on top of them, and there they are. I’ve never had a problem with them, but I make the effort to always be legal. Don’t get lazy doing what you know needs to be done – keep the trip enjoyable.
For first timers fishing there – I’ll give you this warning, as I have seen it happen several times before. You are allowed 1 fish over 21 1/2 inches in your 4 fish limit, conservation license. (55 cm or something like that). A 28 inch fish is going to break that 10 lb mark. So if you dream of a 10 lber – and you get it in that 28″ fish and decide to keep it – that means your done. So when you catch that 32″ fish later on that day, or the weekend, you throw it back. That’s easy for me, because I throw most everything back. But it’s not “always” easy for others. Also, as adults, we have to prepare our kids for that situation if it happens. I’ve seen an 11 year old kid, absolutely as excited as he could get with his first ever 10 lb Walleye, 28.5″ – he could hardly stand up he was so excited. There was not question in that kids mind he was keeping his 10 lb’r. Then, yep, you guessed it, 2 hours later he pulls in a 30.5″ eye. He cried when his dad explained to him it had to go back. The kid was suggesting – well my brother can say he caught it – and Dad had to reason with him – “but that would be a lie.” You have to be prepared to catch big fish, because you WILL catch big fish – no doubt – none.
If you have a 24″ fish on the ice – that’s your one fish over 21 1/2 inch.
So for the most part, if you are keeping fish, you’re looking for 21″ fish. Those weigh 4 lbs. Bigger fish are for the joy of catching them, and if you get that fish of a lifetime, then it’s take measurements for a replica, or care for it to mount it – and that’s your one. Go back to my other post – if you want to keep that big fish to be mounted, have a 3 foot long board, a garbage bag, a towel, and some duct tape with you to pack it on the ice. The ice is so rough there is no way you can possibly get a frozen fish off the lake on a snowmobile or quad without having it packed, and froze onto a board to protect it. Unprotected, you’ll break all the fins off it before you get to shore.
You WILL catch big fish, just be prepared for it. Now, I don’t know you from Adam – maybe you know all that – but I’ve been around lots of people that have fished LW for the first time – they are not prepared for that decision making in many cases. It broke my heart to see that 11 year old cry.
Our club is going to be up there the same weekend. There will be about 150 people from FM Walleyes there that weekend. I’m not sure I will be making the trip, as I’ve got some family issues, sunset years of life things going on. So I am not making any ice fishing plans in advance. Doesn’t mean I won’t be there, just means I won’t commit to anyone until a few hours before I’m rolling out of town. It’s only a 4-5 hour drive for me. And I think the border has a special asterik next to my name I cross that border so much.
From Mattlocks – head straight out about 3 miles – drill a hole and start there. Move in and out to test depths – if you find a good depth, then move North and South. Just North of Matlocks is a point – not really sharp or anything, but still well defined. If it’s dead straight out from Mattlock – you might want to move north by that point, or you will see lots of people fishing east and south from there too. It’s not completely out of the consideration to just skip all that, head straight out to a little bit south and about 7 miles you will be in front if the Red. It’s actually not real well defined because the Red kind of dumps into a swampy marsh type area and there are lots of little canals that carry water to LW.
Don’t make the mistake of drilling a hole too close to shore – you can drive out a mile, and still not have any water under the ice. You drill one hole through the ice and into dirt – and your auger is done – it won’t drill another hole if your life depended on it – yep, I’ve done it. Remember I said to bring a spare auger if you have it – and blades.
Anyway – here’s another. This time it’s me. That morning when I was leaving the motel room I said to myself – I shouldn’t have grabbed this hat. Now just watch, I’ll end up catching a big fish and have this ugly hat in pictures for the rest of my life. Well… 10 lb 10 oz 29.5″
Hiring a guide the first day would give you a huge head start out there. Weather is always a wild card too. Could be a white out or could be -60 windchills. It’s a huge lake and things change fast out there. You will have a TON of ice to drill through in March. They have been using extensions up there for a while now. Snowmobiles are your best bet up there. But who knows maybe by March all the snow will be gone. 
SUMO
Just keep writing as the inspiration hits you. Lots of valuable information for us first timers. Even some of the things most folks wouldn’t think of such as spare blades, cell phone service, credit card pre-calls etc. All good stuff. We are packing extra augers, spark plugs – and tools to change them, vexilars you name it. Can’t prepare enough for something like this. Thanks again for all of your experience and insights!
