Fishing Big Sand Lake in Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Kenora District, Ontario. The water sits 314 metres up. Kenora is the closest town at 40 km. After that come Vermilion Bay at 93 km and Lac du Bonnet at 103 km. Other water within reach: Portage Lake at 4.9 km, First Lake 4.9 km, Second Lake at 5.9 km, Sum Lake 6.5 km and Third Lake at 7.2 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Big Sand Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Kenora District names northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Big Sand Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 19°C in July and bottom out at -18°C in January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Anyone fishing Big Sand Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. 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 tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Portage Lake at 4.9 km is the nearest alternative. Where Big Sand Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.