Fishing at Fish Lake, Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Fish Lake in the Kenora District part of Ontario. The setting is pine and birch on every side. At 3.22 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The outline measures near 17 km, so local knowledge counts. It is high ground by Ontario standards. Supplies mean a trip to Ignace, 25 km off. Beyond it, Atikokan at 49 km and Sioux Lookout at 100 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Fish Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Kenora District records list northern pike, longnose sucker and white sucker among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -18°C in January and 18°C in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It holds true on Fish Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Campus Lake at 3.3 km is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Fish Lake.