Burton Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Within Kenora District, Ontario, you have Burton Lake. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. At some 2.04 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. At about 20 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. The closest town, Lac du Bonnet, is 72 km distant. Kenora is 93 km and Red Lake 108 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Burton Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Kenora District list northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Burton Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -19°C and July at about 19°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Burton Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Haanel Lake at 2.4 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Burton Lake for certain.