Austin Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Austin Lake in the Kenora District part of Ontario. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. Surface area is around 52 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. At about 6.5 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Start from Kenora, 17 km down the road. Then Vermilion Bay, 71 km, and Moose Lake, 102 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Austin Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. The county list is broader than any single water. At Austin Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 19°C, with January the cold end at about -17°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Expect Austin Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Grassy Lake sits 0.9 km off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Austin Lake if anything is unclear.