Fishing at Hazel Lake, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Algoma, Ontario, this is Hazel Lake. It stands 419 metres above sea level. Roughly 52 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Shoreline length is close to 6.2 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Thessalon lies 82 km from the water. The nearest city of size is Greater Sudbury, 196 km away. Round about: Higher Lake (1.8 km), Foref Lake at 3.3 km, Saymo Lake (4 km), Opal Lake at 5.6 km and Strawberry Lake (5.9 km). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Hazel Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name walleye, northern pike and Iowa darter. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Hazel Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -13°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It holds true on Hazel Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Higher Lake is 1.8 km distant. Where Hazel Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.