Tar Lake in Algoma: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Tar Lake in the Algoma part of Ontario. Everything around it is boreal forest. Around 12 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. About 1.4 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. On size it sits at the modest end of our Algoma list. For a base, Hornepayne sits 81 km out. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 337 km away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Tar Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Algoma include walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Treat Tar Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while January sits near -18°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Tar Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Wampuss Lake sits 0.9 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Tar Lake is worth confirming on the day.