Scow Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Algoma, Ontario, is where Scow Lake sits. It stands 441 metres above sea level. Roughly 35 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Some 5.8 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It is high ground by Ontario standards. The closest town, Wawa, is 54 km distant. Beyond it, Chapleau at 56 km and Sault Ste. Marie at 138 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Scow Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter, yellow perch and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Treat Scow Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 16°C and January near -15°C on the long-run figures. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That is the shape of the year on Scow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Fulcher Lake at 1.7 km is the sensible second choice. Rules at Scow Lake are worth checking on the day.