Fishing at Mathieu Lakes, Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Kenora District, Ontario, sits Mathieu Lakes. The bank is 449 metres above sea level. Around 75 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The margin runs to about 6.5 km in total. It is high ground by Ontario standards. Atikokan is the closest town at 56 km. After that come Ignace at 59 km and Sioux Lookout at 129 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mathieu Lakes

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Kenora District records list northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Mathieu Lakes to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -18°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Mathieu Lakes runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Prism Lake, 1.6 km away. Where Mathieu Lakes is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.