Route Lake near Dryden: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Look for Route Lake in the Kenora District part of Ontario. The surface lies 392 metres up. Surface area runs to some 11.15 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The bank runs about 66 km in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. Size puts it in the front rank of our Kenora District list. Dryden lies 32 km from the water. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 308 km distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Route Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Route Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -18°C at the bottom of winter. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Route Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Spine Lake at 4.5 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Route Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.