Ruthie Lake Fishing in Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Algoma, Ontario. Everything around it is taiga. At some 1.17 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The outline measures near 5.0 km, so local knowledge counts. It ranks high for size among our Algoma listings. Manitouwadge is the closest town at 64 km. Further out sit Hornepayne (66 km) and Wawa (86 km). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Ruthie Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Algoma include walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Ruthie Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -18°C at the bottom of winter. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Time your trip to Ruthie Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. John Lake sits 2.6 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Ruthie Lake for certain.