Douglas Lake Fishing near Red Lake, Ontario

• Overview

  Douglas Lake belongs to Kenora District, Ontario. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. At some 5.12 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. With about 42 km of shoreline, local advice saves a lot of walking. On our Kenora District list it sits near the top for size. Supplies mean a trip to Red Lake, 31 km off. It is 239 km to Winnipeg, the nearest city. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Douglas Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Douglas Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -19°C to 18°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It holds true on Douglas Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Foley Lake, 1.8 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Douglas Lake.