Fishing at Race Lake, Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Race Lake in Kenora District, Ontario. It lies 357 metres above sea level. At about 29 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. About 2.0 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It is a small entry by Kenora District standards. You are 38 km from Sioux Lookout. It is 307 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Race Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Race Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 18°C and January near -19°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Race Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Tuktegweik Lake sits 1.4 km off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Race Lake.