Low Lake Fishing near Hornepayne, Ontario

• Overview

  Low Lake is an Algoma water, in Ontario. The ground round it is northern bush. With some 20 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. There is roughly 2.7 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Hornepayne is the closest town at 28 km. Further out sit Manitouwadge (76 km) and Wawa (108 km). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Low Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name walleye, northern pike and Iowa darter. The county list is broader than any single water. On Low Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -18°C in January. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Low Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Jackfish Lake, 0.9 km away. Check the position on Low Lake before loading the car.