Clearwater Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Clearwater Lake is set in Algoma, Ontario. It lies 379 metres above sea level. The water covers some 12 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.4 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is a small entry by Algoma standards. Nearest town is Sault Ste. Marie, 25 km off. The nearest city of size is Greater Sudbury, 240 km away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Clearwater Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Algoma include walleye, northern pike and Iowa darter. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Clearwater Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -12°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Plan around that when you fish Clearwater Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is White Birch Lake, 1.1 km out. For Clearwater Lake in particular, ask before you travel.