McMinn Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find McMinn Lake in Algoma, Ontario. This is lake country bush ground. Roughly 12 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 1.7 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is a small entry by Algoma standards. The closest town, Elliot Lake, is 28 km distant. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 102 km distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on McMinn Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Algoma list walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter, yellow perch and white sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. McMinn Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -11°C in January and 18°C in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Time your trip to McMinn Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Conway Lake is 1.9 km distant. Where McMinn Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.