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I stayed at the Panhandle Lake Retreat over Memorial Day weekend. The resort provides the lake and the boat. All I had to do was show up with a rod and start fishing.
The fishing was superb. I'd say we cooked up about 20 rainbows and brook trout over the 4 days we were there. I caught at least 10-15 every day, throwing the majority of them back in the lake. Most of them were in the 10-11" range, but a few were upwards of 15". I trolled the north end of the lake using the provided boat and electric motor. Wedding Rings seemed to be the trick. I tried various colors and did not find that the color mattered much.
For a carefree weekend of fishing, swimming and relaxing, give Panhandle Lake a try. You won't regret it. Look for my full review of Panhandle Lake in the Featured Lakes section soon.
Went up to Panhandle Lake again this year for Memorial Day weekend. What a blast! This is hands down the best get away/fishing anyone could ask for. A lake ALL to yourself, all 14 acres of it, fully stocked with 4-5lb Kamloops Trout (smaller ones too, as well as a small Eastern Brook Trout population). I caught a few of the larger ones each day and threw them all back except for 2. One got all messed up with the hook and the other just wouldn't swim away... he just wanted to flip on his back and die so I scooped him back up and ate him. They sure put up a good fight. The first one I caught took most of my line before he got tired and I was able to safely bring him to the boat.
Featured Lake Article
PANHANDLE
Memorial Day Weekend - 2005 - Part 1
By: Tammy Borg
What a weekend clear blue skies, quiet peaceful waters, no sounds but those of nature around us. We arrived at Panhandle Lake mid-Friday afternoon. My first impression was WOW! Over the course of the next four days, that impression only intensified. Our first day at the lake consisted of unpacking the supplies wed brought, followed by a ride in the boat around the lake, fishing, and sunbathing. We grilled steaks and corn on the barbeque for dinner and ate on the patio, listening to the sounds of the frogs, the crickets, and the hot tub. After dinner, a relaxing dip in the hot tub and one more turn around the lake, we relaxed watching satellite TV in the living room. Later we slept, so peacefully, in the master bedroom. We woke up early and the fishing was on again. Actually, I slept in, while my husband hit the lake around 7 a.m. The clear blue skies, peaceful waters, and my husbands insistence prompted me to go out on the lake for some nude sunbathing. Oh wow, what an experience, trolling around, basking in the sun, feeling the warmth of its rays on my body. Yes, we had lots of sunscreen, cant burn the parts after all! However, the fishing was, again, fantastic, and although we threw back more than we kept, the fish kept biting. We caught some brook trout and rainbow trout, which fried up nicely and tasted wonderful! More on the details of fishing and the fish a bit later.
Let me detail the house itself. The pictures on the website do not do justice to the home or the property. This is not a cabin. This is a summer home with all the comforts of city dwelling with none of the noise, neighbors, or other such unpleasantness. The kitchen is fantastic. There is plenty of room for preparation, cooking, and storage of whatever you brought and catch. There is a full sized split refrigerator/freezer, stove, oven, microwave, toaster, coffee pot and filters, dishes, silverware, cooking and bake ware, even the spices for cooking are available. There is also a dishwasher, thank goodness! I hate washing dishes by hand! The kitchen leads into the dining room, with a table and chairs for six, plus three bar stools at the kitchen counter, and a picnic table and bench for additional seating, and none of this feels cramped. Off the dining room is a large bathroom with a separate laundry room at the end. In the living room, there is a television with a satellite connection and couches with built-in reclining seats. Through the living room is another full-size bathroom. Then there is a small storage-type room and then the master bedroom. The master has a television in the hutch and a door leading to a small covered patio area.
Outside, on the main patio, is a six-person hot tub, a table and chairs, a barbeque grill and a lovely view of the lake itself. A short walk down a gravel path takes you to the boat dock. At this dock, there are two boats; one of them equipped with an electric motor and battery, oars, seat cushions, and life jackets. If you walk down another path, youll find yourself at the swimming dock. This dock has an umbrella for shade and a ladder to help you get out of the lake when youre done swimming. This dock is wide and very nice for sunbathing or just relaxing before or after taking a dip in the warm water. I must note, wading into the lake isnt an option, unless you dont mind squishy sand and palm fronds tickling your legs. The water at the end of the swimming dock is definitely over your head. I dont know the exact depth, but we never found the bottom. So, I would recommend bringing some floatation devices if you plan on relaxing in the water. There are also more acres of hiking and exploring territory than I can even begin to mention.
Over the course of the weekend, we saw many different types of wildlife. We saw a spotted cow moose and several deer. In addition to the fish we caught, we also saw several turtles and even one little garter snake. There are many kinds of birds. We saw hawks and sandpipers, a mama duck and eleven ducklings, we saw crows and some sort of big, prehistoric-looking predatory bird (preys on the fish, not the people). The sounds of the frogs permeated the lake in a roundhouse choral symphony, punctuated by the chirping of the crickets and squirrels.
Overall, we had a most wonderful and relaxing weekend and I would strongly recommend this location to anyone looking for the ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. Panhandle Lake is perfect for a single person, a couple, a group of friends, or even a family, looking for some fun and relaxation.
Memorial Day Weekend - 2005 - Part 2
By: Aaron Borg
Panhandle Lake is a great place to fish. The quiet atmosphere and steady action make for a wonderful fishing experience. At the south end of the lake, where the house is located, is a small inlet where the fishing dock and boats are located. The lake is split in half by a thick wall of underwater foliage making two distinct fishing areas. The South end of the lake contains the swimming dock and the North end has the better fishing.
The fishing dock is located about 25 yards from the house. It is large enough for the two aluminum boats and has plenty of room for multiple people to relax on the dock and fish the inlet. While there are two boats available, there is only 1 electric motor. Both boats do have oars. The electric motor supplied is more than sufficient for this lake. Trolling at about ¾ throttle allowed me to be on the lake fishing for at least a couple of hours. The great part about the motor setup is that it comes with 2 batteries and a battery charger! On the beach by the fishing dock is a small utility box that contains the battery charger. When one battery gets run down, just head back to the dock and switch it out for the other one. The batteries cannot charge fast enough to allow for fishing 24 hours a day, but they did charge fast enough for me to hit the lake at least 3 times a day for a couple hours at a time. If you have children with you there are more than enough life jackets stored in the utility box. The boat that has the motor attached to it also comes with a small cooler for storing your fish. I forgot to bring a fish stringer with me but was surprised and happy to find that the only thing I needed was some bait and my pole.
The inlet where the fishing dock is located has plenty of fish for those down times when you are waiting for the batteries to charge. During the hot afternoon I sat on the dock and fished using a small bobber and worm. Fishing the inlet was actually quite productive. On my first cast, I caught a 14 Eastern Brook Trout. He put up a decent struggle but in the end he was served for dinner. Turtles and frogs are found in abundance all around the fishing dock area. Give a child a fishing net and point them at the reeds and theyll be busy for hours. One of the turtles actually found its way up to the house one night while we were having dinner on the patio. We picked him up, checked him out and then sent him on his way back toward the lake.
The southern end of the lake is about ½ the size of northern end. This part of the lake contains the large, and very well placed swimming dock. Staying away from the dock and the weeds leaves just enough room to troll in a circle. I did catch a few rainbows on this side, but not nearly as many as the northern side. The weeds also presented more of a problem here than any other part of the lake.
All in all, Panhandle lake is a great place to relax, and an even better place to fish. You will find no trophy size fish in these waters, but you will more than make up for it in numbers. All by myself, I was able to catch enough brookies and rainbow trout to feed us for days, and released even more back into the lake. Anyone looking for a great fishing getaway will never regret staying at Panhandle Lake.
