Fishing Turtle Lake in Timiskaming District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Timiskaming District, Ontario, this is Turtle Lake. This is rolling bush country. At roughly 5 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Most waters listed here for Timiskaming District are larger. Start from Englehart, 16 km down the road. Temiskaming Shores is 39 km and Kirkland Lake 44 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Turtle Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Timiskaming District, recorded fish include brook trout, northern pike and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Turtle Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -16°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Turtle Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Mallard Lake, 1 km away. For Turtle Lake in particular, ask before you travel.