Fishing Bethune Lake in Rainy River District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Rainy River District end of Ontario holds Bethune Lake. This is rolling bush country. This is sizeable water at about 2.05 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. Shoreline length is close to 21 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Compared with other Ontario water on our list, it sits high. Head to Atikokan, 22 km away, for anything you forgot. It is 182 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Bethune Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Rainy River District include northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Bethune Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -18°C at the bottom of winter. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Bethune Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. East Hardtack Lake at 2.4 km is the sensible second choice. Rules at Bethune Lake are worth checking on the day.