Kilgour Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Kilgour Lake in the Kenora District part of Ontario. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. It measures about 99 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With 6.8 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Vermilion Bay at 40 km is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Winnipeg is 236 km off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Kilgour Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Kenora District, recorded fish include northern pike, longnose sucker and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read Kilgour Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -18°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Kilgour Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Clear Lake at 2.4 km is the nearest alternative. Where Kilgour Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.