Fishing at Leonard Lake, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Leonard Lake lies within the bounds of Algoma, Ontario. The surroundings are rolling bush. The water covers some 46 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 3.3 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Start from Sault Ste. Marie, 34 km down the road. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 241 km distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Leonard 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. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Algoma: walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Leonard Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 17°C and January reads -12°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Leonard Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. 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. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Mine Lake, 2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Leonard Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.