Lily Lake Fishing near Hornepayne, Ontario

• Overview

  Lily Lake is one of the Algoma waters in Ontario. Elevation runs to 330 metres. Around 23 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The full circuit measures close to 4.7 km on foot. The closest town, Hornepayne, is 8 km away. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 338 km away. Others worth noting: Mefrau Lake some 1.7 km off, Marten Lake at 2.7 km, Lennon Lake some 3.8 km off, Shadrock Lake at 5.5 km and Bear Lake some 6.3 km off. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lily Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Algoma cover walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Lily Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -19°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Lily Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Mefrau Lake sits 1.7 km off and takes the overflow. For Lily Lake in particular, ask before you travel.