Jim Lake in Rainy River District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Jim Lake lies in Rainy River District, Ontario. The surface lies 449 metres up. It measures some 2.06 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. Some 16 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Ontario listings. Head to Atikokan, 8.6 km away, for anything you forgot. Thunder Bay sits 178 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Jim Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Rainy River District records list northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. On Jim Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 18°C and January about -17°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Anyone fishing Jim Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Little Brown Lake is 3.4 km distant. Check the position at Jim Lake before loading the car.