Upper Squirrel Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Upper Squirrel Lake is listed under Kenora District, Ontario. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. At about 29 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. A shoreline of some 3.3 km keeps the choices simple. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Kenora District. Some 57 km away sits Ignace, the nearest settlement. Atikokan follows at 63 km, then Sioux Lookout at 125 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Upper Squirrel Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Kenora District: northern pike, longnose sucker and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Upper Squirrel Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 17°C, while January sits near -18°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Upper Squirrel Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Lower Squirrel Lake at 1.3 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Upper Squirrel Lake for certain.