Swales Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Kenora District entry here is Swales Lake, in Ontario. The bank is 248 metres above sea level. It measures some 2.31 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. At about 14 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. The nearest place of any size is Greenstone, 279 km away. After that come Geraldton at 284 km and Longlac at 289 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Swales Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Kenora District records list northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read Swales Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -22°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Swales Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Pichinamei Lake, 6.1 km out. Check the current arrangement for Swales Lake.