Gay Lake Fishing near Hornepayne, Ontario

• Overview

  Gay Lake is one of the Algoma listings for Ontario. The surface lies 365 metres up. The water covers around 1.06 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. Shoreline length is close to 16 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Few waters listed in Algoma are bigger. Some 87 km away sits Hornepayne, the nearest settlement. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 328 km distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Gay Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Algoma: walleye, northern pike and Iowa darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Gay Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -17°C to 16°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Gay Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Nameibin Lake, 4 km out. Confirm before you fish Gay Lake.