Fishing Lois Lake in Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Algoma, Ontario, this is Lois Lake. The surface lies 428 metres up. Surface area is around 39 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. About 3.4 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. You are 63 km from Hornepayne. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 310 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lois Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Algoma cover walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Lois Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -18°C to 16°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It holds true on Lois Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Pike Lake is 3.1 km off. Rules at Lois Lake are worth checking on the day.