Fishing Joachim Lake in Timiskaming District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Joachim Lake falls inside Timiskaming District. The land about it is pine and birch. It covers about 6 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Our Timiskaming District list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest town is Ville-Marie, 16 km away. Beyond it, Haileybury at 16 km and Temiskaming Shores at 22 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Joachim Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Timiskaming District cover brook trout, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Joachim Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -16°C for January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That shapes the year on Joachim Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Stewart Lake, 1.1 km away. Rules at Joachim Lake are worth checking on the day.