Chain Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Algoma, Ontario. It sits in mixed forest country. It covers about 8 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Algoma are larger. The nearest place of any size is Thessalon, 45 km away. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 176 km away. Other water nearby: Boot Lake (0.8 km), Two Camp Lake some 0.8 km off, Beaverkit Lake (1.2 km), Murphy Lake some 1.3 km off and Swanson Lake (1.8 km). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Chain Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter, yellow perch and white sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Take Chain Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -12°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Chain Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Boot Lake sits 0.8 km off and takes the overflow. For Chain Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.