Fishing at Slough Lake, Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  Slough Lake belongs to Kenora District, Ontario. It sits at 381 metres above sea level. Small at around 9 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Kenora District list. Supplies mean a trip to Sioux Lookout, 18 km off. For a city, Thunder Bay is 275 km off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Slough Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Kenora District records list northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The near bank of Slough Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -18°C to 18°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Expect Slough Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Overnight stays are possible about 1.1 km out, where camping is mapped. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Misfit Lake is 1.9 km off. Rules at Slough Lake are worth checking on the day.