Kelso Lake in Timiskaming District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Timiskaming District end of Ontario holds Kelso Lake. Everything around it is lake country bush. This is a pocket water of some 4 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Our Timiskaming District list holds plenty of bigger water. Head to Kirkland Lake, 36 km away, for anything you forgot. Rouyn-Noranda lies 43 km off, Englehart another 56 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Kelso Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. 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. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Kelso Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -17°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It sets the rhythm of the year at Kelso Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Pontiac Lake, 0.9 km out. Rules at Kelso Lake are worth checking on the day.