Pop Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Kenora District, Ontario. It sits in pine and birch. Around 72 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. Around 5.5 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. It is high ground by Ontario standards. The closest town, Ignace, is 9.9 km away. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 214 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Pop Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Kenora District list northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Take Pop Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 18°C and January near -18°C on the long-run figures. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Pop Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Greenheart Lake is 2.5 km off. Where Pop Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.