Fishing Valentine Lake in Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Valentine Lake is set in Algoma, Ontario. This is taiga ground. It measures about 59 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 3.8 km on foot. The nearest town is Hornepayne, 47 km away. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 305 km away. Neighbouring water: Davis Lake about 0.9 km, Siren Lake at 4.3 km, Lower Matthews Lake about 6.6 km, Rita Lake at 7.4 km and Plate Lake about 7.8 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Valentine Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Algoma records list walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Valentine Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while January sits near -18°C. Winter runs most of the calendar, and everything worth doing happens in the gap. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Time your trip to Valentine Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Davis Lake, 0.9 km away. For Valentine Lake in particular, ask before you travel.