Fishing at Little Pickerel Lake, Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  Ontario holds Little Pickerel Lake, in Kenora District. Height above sea level is 339 metres. With some 43 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 3.8 km of margin, front to back. Kenora sits 25 km from here and is the nearest stop. It is 166 km to Winnipeg, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Little Pickerel Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. The county list is broader than any single water. The near bank of Little Pickerel Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 19°C; by January the average is down near -18°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Little Pickerel Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A campsite is mapped about 1.1 km away, which makes an early start easier. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Mack Lake is 2.3 km off. Where Little Pickerel Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.