Martin Lake in Algoma: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Martin Lake is one of the Algoma listings for Ontario. The country round it is spruce and muskeg from end to end. It runs to roughly 33 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The margin runs to about 6.2 km in total. The nearest town is Wawa, 66 km away. Chapleau is 80 km away, with Hornepayne at 105 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Martin Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Martin Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Martin Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Pinny Lake is 1.4 km off. Nothing on Martin Lake should be assumed from this page alone.