Fishing at Creasy Lake, Rainy River District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Rainy River District end of Ontario holds Creasy Lake. The ground around here is pine and birch. Roughly 20 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 2.8 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Rainy River District are larger. Nearest town is Atikokan, 43 km off. Ely lies 59 km off, Babbitt another 80 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Creasy Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Rainy River District cover northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Creasy Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 18°C, with January the cold end at about -16°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Time your trip to Creasy Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Orion Lake at 2 km is the nearest alternative. What applies at Creasy Lake may have changed since it was mapped.