Hook Lake in Kenora District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Hook Lake is set in Kenora District, Ontario. It stands 409 metres above sea level. At 6.36 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. There is roughly 27 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. Few waters listed in Kenora District are bigger. Head to Ignace, 26 km away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 235 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Hook Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Hook Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -18°C for January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That shapes the year on Hook Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Mud Lake at 1.4 km is the sensible second choice. Signs at Hook Lake carry more weight than any list.