Lard Lake in Kenora District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Kenora District end of Ontario holds Lard Lake. The bank is 400 metres above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 2.21 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The perimeter runs near 13 km, so plan the walk before you start. The nearest place of any size is Sioux Lookout, 33 km away. It is 246 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lard Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Kenora District, recorded fish include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Lard Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -18°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Lard Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Cornerstone Lake sits 3.6 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Lard Lake is worth confirming on the day.