Fishing Back Lake in Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Back Lake is set in Algoma, Ontario. The bank is 421 metres above sea level. The water covers some 40 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The whole outline is near 4.8 km, and most of it is walkable. Wawa lies 31 km from the water. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 314 km distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Back Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Algoma, recorded fish include walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter, yellow perch and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Back Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Plan around that when you fish Back Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Yvonne Lake at 2.6 km is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Back Lake locally before you travel.