Fishing Orphan Lake in Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Orphan Lake in the Algoma part of Ontario. Height above sea level is 262 metres. Small at around 7 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Algoma are larger. Wawa sits 56 km from here and is the nearest stop. After that come Chapleau at 114 km and Sault Ste. Marie at 114 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Orphan Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name walleye, northern pike and Iowa darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Take Orphan Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -10°C to 16°C. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about early December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That is the shape of the year on Orphan Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Expect 1.1 km away in from where the car goes. A camping area sits within 890 m of here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Doc Greig Lake is 1.5 km off. Ask locally about Orphan Lake if anything is unclear.