McGarry Lake Fishing Guide, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for McGarry Lake in Algoma, Ontario. It sits at 400 metres above sea level. Small at around 8 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Algoma list. Sault Ste. Marie is the closest place, 67 km off. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 261 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on McGarry Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Algoma, recorded fish include walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of McGarry Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -13°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at McGarry Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, McCollough Lake at 0.7 km is the nearest alternative. Signs at McGarry Lake carry more weight than any list.