Long Lake Fishing near Kenora, Ontario

• Overview

  Long Lake belongs to Kenora District, Ontario. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. Surface area runs to roughly 3.69 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The bank runs about 34 km in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. Supplies mean a trip to Kenora, 28 km off. Further out sit Moose Lake (85 km) and Lac du Bonnet (96 km). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Long Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 19°C and January at -18°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan around that when you fish Long Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Catastrophe Lake, 2.4 km away. Check the position on Long Lake before loading the car.