Fishing at Conk Lake, Rainy River District, Ontario

• Overview

  Ontario holds Conk Lake, in Rainy River District. Everything around it is mixed forest. Around 49 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. There is roughly 4.9 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. The nearest town is Atikokan, 27 km away. It is 188 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Conk Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Rainy River District cover northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Conk Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 18°C and January at -17°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Plan around that when you fish Conk Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Jean Lake, 3.4 km away. Check the position on Conk Lake before loading the car.