Fishing at Emerald Lake, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Algoma in Ontario is where Emerald Lake sits. It lies 342 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 2 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Our Algoma list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest place of any size is Wawa, 22 km away. It is 337 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Emerald Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Algoma include walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Emerald Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Emerald Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Eva Lake at 1.2 km is the nearest alternative. For Emerald Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.