Fishing at Keefer Lake, Timiskaming District, Ontario

• Overview

  Within Timiskaming District, Ontario, you have Keefer Lake. Around the bank it is taiga. It measures some 1.75 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The shoreline runs about 16 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. On our Timiskaming District list it sits near the top for size. For a base, Timmins sits 40 km out. It is 207 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Keefer Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Timiskaming District include brook trout, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Keefer Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 17°C, while January sits near -17°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Keefer Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Crest Lake is 2.4 km distant. For Keefer Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.