Cherry Lake Fishing Guide, Rainy River District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Rainy River District end of Ontario holds Cherry Lake. This is rolling bush ground. Roughly 70 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 4.2 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Fort Frances is the closest town at 48 km. For a city, Thunder Bay is 276 km off. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Cherry Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Rainy River District names northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Anyone new to Cherry Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -17°C in January up to 19°C in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. At Cherry Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Big Sawbill Lake at 5.8 km is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Cherry Lake in what we hold.