Fishing at Murray Lake, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Murray Lake falls in Algoma, part of Ontario. It stands 403 metres above sea level. With some 36 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Bank access stretches around 3.6 km in total. Elliot Lake is the closest place, 84 km off. The nearest city of size is Greater Sudbury, 178 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Murray Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Algoma names walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Fish Murray Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -14°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Murray Lake.

• 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. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Mountain Ash Lake, 2.5 km out. Signs at Murray Lake carry more weight than any list.