Fishing at Steinhoff Lake, Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Steinhoff Lake falls inside Kenora District. It sits at 410 metres above sea level. It measures some 1.02 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The margin runs to about 5.3 km in total. Some 27 km away sits Ignace, the nearest settlement. For a city, Thunder Bay is 226 km off. Water in the same corner: Pluto Lake sits 1.4 km out, Cote Lake 2.1 km, Saturn Lake sits 2.6 km out, Juniper Lake 3.2 km and Hearsey Lake sits 3.7 km out. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Steinhoff Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Steinhoff Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 18°C in July and bottoms out near -18°C in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan any trip to Steinhoff Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Pluto Lake, 1.4 km away. None of that is settled for Steinhoff Lake in what we hold.