Charlie May's Lake Fishing Guide, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Charlie May's Lake in Algoma, Ontario. Country round the bank runs to taiga. This is a pocket water of some 6 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Algoma are larger. Some 2.3 km away sits Hornepayne, the nearest settlement. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 342 km away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Charlie May's Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Algoma: walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Charlie May's Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -18°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. That is the shape of the year on Charlie May's Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Second Charlie May's Lake, 1.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Charlie May's Lake is worth confirming on the day.