Bijou Lake Fishing in Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Bijou Lake belongs to Algoma. The setting is lake country bush. It runs to roughly 65 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. At about 7.4 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. The closest town, Thessalon, is 40 km away. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 192 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bijou Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter, yellow perch and white sucker. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Bijou Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -12°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Bijou Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Pine Island Lake at 1.4 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Bijou Lake.