Sawbill Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Sawbill Lake is set in Algoma, Ontario. The surroundings are rolling bush. The water covers some 16 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 3.1 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Compared with other Ontario water on our list, it sits high. Nearest place of any size is Elliot Lake, 74 km away. After that come Thessalon at 84 km and Blind River at 87 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Sawbill Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Algoma list walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Sawbill Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -13°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Sawbill Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Peshu Lake, 2.2 km out. Treat access at Sawbill Lake as something to verify.