Crosswise Lake in Timiskaming District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Timiskaming District, Ontario, sits Crosswise Lake. It sits at 250 metres above sea level. It measures about 84 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The perimeter runs near 5.7 km, so plan the walk before you start. Few waters listed in Timiskaming District are bigger. Start from Haileybury, 7 km down the road. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 143 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Crosswise Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Timiskaming District include brook trout, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Crosswise Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -16°C for January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Crosswise Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Cyril Lake, 0.8 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Crosswise Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.