Fishing at Hat Lake, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Hat Lake sits within Algoma in Ontario. The surface lies 329 metres up. The water covers some 39 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge runs 3.3 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Start from Elliot Lake, 40 km down the road. After that come Blind River at 55 km and Thessalon at 67 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Hat Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Algoma include walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Hat Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 18°C and January near -13°C on the long-run figures. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Expect Hat Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Iron Lake is 2.5 km off. Rules at Hat Lake are worth checking on the day.