Upper Slate Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Upper Slate Lake stands in Kenora District, Ontario. The bank is 379 metres above sea level. It measures some 1.38 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The edge covers about 6.8 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. 85 km away sits Red Lake, the nearest town. It is 349 km to Winnipeg, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Upper Slate Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker and white sucker. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Upper Slate Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -20°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Upper Slate Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Manitoosh Lake is 5.3 km distant. For Upper Slate Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.