Pancake Lake near Kirkland Lake: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Out in Timiskaming District, Ontario, sits Pancake Lake. This is rolling bush ground. At 10 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Around 1.8 km of margin, front to back. Nearest town is Kirkland Lake, 24 km off. Englehart is 35 km and Rouyn-Noranda 53 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Pancake Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Timiskaming District include brook trout, northern pike and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Pancake Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -17°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Pancake Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. 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. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Marjorie Lake sits 2.3 km off and takes the overflow. For Pancake Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.