Lizard Lake in Rainy River District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Rainy River District, Ontario, this is Lizard Lake. What surrounds it is rolling bush. Roughly 1.67 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Around 15 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. You are 32 km from Atikokan. Then Ignace, 54 km, and Ely, 125 km. Also worth knowing: Premier Lake 3.9 km away, Woody Lake just 4.3 km, Light Lake 4.8 km away, Boucher Lake just 5.6 km and Bark Lake 6.2 km away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lizard Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Rainy River District cover northern pike, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Lizard Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -18°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That is the shape of the year on Lizard Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Premier Lake at 3.9 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Lizard Lake.