May Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for May Lake in Kenora District, Ontario. The surface lies 395 metres up. With some 54 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 3.6 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Head to Sioux Lookout, 36 km away, for anything you forgot. It is 265 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on May Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Kenora District names northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish May Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -18°C at the bottom of winter. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It sets the rhythm of the year at May Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Talman Lake, 4.2 km away. Confirm access to May Lake locally before you travel.