Bell Lake Fishing near Lac du Bonnet, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Kenora District, Ontario, this is Bell Lake. The country here is mixed forest. The water measures roughly 5 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is a small entry by Kenora District standards. Lac du Bonnet is the closest place, 77 km off. The nearest city of size is Winnipeg, 164 km away. Not far off: Badgley Lake 0.4 km away, Wilson Lake after 1.3 km, Bain Lake 1.4 km away, Daly Lake after 1.9 km and Almo Lake 2.9 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Bell Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Kenora District list northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Bell Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 19°C and January at -19°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan any trip to Bell Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Badgley Lake is 0.4 km distant. Check the position on Bell Lake before loading the car.