Grouse Lake Fishing near Manitouwadge, Ontario

• Overview

  The Algoma end of Ontario holds Grouse Lake. It stands 357 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 70 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Some 8.3 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Start from Manitouwadge, 54 km down the road. Beyond it, Hornepayne at 58 km and Wawa at 98 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Grouse Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Algoma, recorded fish include walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Grouse Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 16°C and January near -18°C. Winter runs most of the calendar, and everything worth doing happens in the gap. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Grouse Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Magone Lake is 2.4 km off. The position on Grouse Lake is worth confirming on the day.