Catastrophe Lake in Kenora District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Kenora District, Ontario, this is Catastrophe Lake. It sits at 344 metres above sea level. At some 2.94 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. You are looking at roughly 18 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Kenora lies 26 km from the water. For a city, Winnipeg is 169 km off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Catastrophe Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Catastrophe Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 19°C, with January the cold end at about -18°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Catastrophe Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Long Lake at 2.4 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Catastrophe Lake.