Alford Lake Fishing Guide, Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Kenora District, Alford Lake is an Ontario water. The setting is pine and birch on every side. The water covers around 5.29 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. At about 35 km of edge, most people fish a single area and learn it well. Size puts it in the front rank of our Kenora District list. Red Lake sits 19 km from here and is the nearest stop. For a city, Winnipeg is 264 km off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Alford Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Kenora District list northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Alford Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -20°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Alford Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Corallen Lake at 3 km is the nearest alternative. For Alford Lake in particular, ask before you travel.