Axe Lake Fishing Guide, Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  Axe Lake belongs to Kenora District, Ontario. The ground round it is mixed forest. Roughly 34 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Roughly 4.9 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. 22 km away sits Kenora, the nearest town. Vermilion Bay lies 71 km off, Moose Lake another 107 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Axe Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Axe Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -18°C and July at about 19°C, the water has a wide range to work through. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Axe Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a mapped landing stage 1.5 km away. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Boot Lake, 1.3 km out. For Axe Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.