Boffin Lake near Fort Frances: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Boffin Lake is one of the Rainy River District listings for Ontario. The setting is mixed forest on every side. This is sizeable water at about 5.61 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The margin runs to about 16 km in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Rainy River District list. The closest town, Fort Frances, is 16 km away. The big place round here is Winnipeg, 295 km distant. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Boffin Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. 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. Records held for Rainy River District cover northern pike, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Boffin Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 19°C in July and bottoms out near -17°C in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. On Boffin Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Wegg Lake at 3.3 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Boffin Lake before loading the car.