Upper Swanzy Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Upper Swanzy Lake in the Kenora District part of Ontario. The setting is pine and birch. With some 40 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 2.8 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Ignace lies 42 km from the water. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 201 km distant. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Upper Swanzy Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of Upper Swanzy Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -19°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Upper Swanzy Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Little Swanzy Lake at 1.8 km is the sensible second choice. Where Upper Swanzy Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.