Vanance Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Kenora District end of Ontario holds Vanance Lake. The surface lies 359 metres up. With some 95 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With 6.3 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. For a base, Red Lake sits 74 km out. Winnipeg is the closest city, 197 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Vanance Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Fish Vanance Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 18°C and January near -19°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That shapes the year on Vanance Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Goss Lake, 3.4 km out. Where Vanance Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.