West Lake Fishing Guide, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Algoma, Ontario, this is West Lake. Height above sea level is 375 metres. The water covers some 25 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 2.4 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. The closest town, Wawa, is 49 km distant. Greater Sudbury sits 297 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on West Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Algoma include walleye, northern pike and Iowa darter. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. West Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -16°C in January. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Time your trip to West Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Shikwamkwa Lake is 1.4 km distant. Check the position on West Lake before loading the car.