Rainbow Lake in Algoma: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Ontario holds Rainbow Lake, in Algoma. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed forest. It measures about 38 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 3.6 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Nearest town is Sault Ste. Marie, 62 km off. Greater Sudbury sits 242 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Rainbow Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Algoma, recorded fish include walleye, northern pike and Iowa darter. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Anyone new to Rainbow Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -13°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Rainbow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Elmer Lake sits 1.1 km off and takes the overflow. Signs at Rainbow Lake carry more weight than any list.