Tondern Lake in Algoma: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Tondern Lake is set in Algoma, Ontario. The water sits 334 metres up. The water covers some 17 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 2.5 km keeps the choices simple. Hornepayne at 20 km is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Thunder Bay is 327 km off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Tondern Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Algoma records list walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter, yellow perch and white sucker among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Tondern Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -18°C to 16°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That is the shape of the year on Tondern Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Beaver Lake is 1.6 km off. Confirm access to Tondern Lake locally before you travel.