Magnet Lake in Algoma: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Algoma, Ontario, this is Magnet Lake. The water sits 426 metres up. It runs to roughly 31 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 3.3 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Start from Wawa, 68 km down the road. Greater Sudbury sits 273 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Magnet Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name walleye, northern pike and Iowa darter. The county list is broader than any single water. Magnet Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -14°C. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It holds true on Magnet Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Roderic Lake at 3.1 km is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Magnet Lake in what we hold.