Swan Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Swan Lake is one of the Kenora District listings for Ontario. It sits in mixed forest country. Surface area runs to some 10.64 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. It ranks high for size among our Kenora District listings. Kenora lies 45 km from the water. Then Lac du Bonnet, 84 km, and Moose Lake, 100 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Swan Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Kenora District cover northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Swan Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 19°C and January near -18°C on the long-run figures. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Swan Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, High Lake is 4.4 km distant. Nothing here settles the position at Swan Lake for certain.