Cameron Lake in Algoma: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Algoma end of Ontario holds Cameron Lake. Height above sea level is 316 metres. Surface area runs to some 26.02 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. At about 42 km of edge, most people fish a single area and learn it well. On our Algoma list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Hornepayne, is 43 km away. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 372 km away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Cameron Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter, yellow perch and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Cameron Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -18°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Plan any trip to Cameron Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. 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 ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Rat Lake sits 2.2 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Cameron Lake for certain.