Fishing at Jones Lake, Rainy River District, Ontario

• Overview

  Jones Lake sits in Rainy River District, out in Ontario. It sits at 368 metres above sea level. It measures some 2.20 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. With 16 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Nearest place of any size is Ignace, 67 km away. After that come Atikokan at 72 km and Dryden at 79 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Jones Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Rainy River District include northern pike, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Jones Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -17°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Jones Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Patricia Lake is 4.5 km distant. Ask locally about Jones Lake if anything is unclear.