Wickens Lake in Kenora District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Kenora District, Ontario, this is Wickens Lake. The bank is 360 metres above sea level. Roughly 3.21 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. With 15 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. The closest town, Dryden, is 22 km distant. Then Vermilion Bay, 36 km, and Sioux Lookout, 67 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Wickens Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Kenora District include northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Wickens Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 18°C and January at -18°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Wickens Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Fen Lake is 2.1 km off. For Wickens Lake in particular, ask before you travel.