Fishing Wink Lake in Rainy River District, Ontario

• Overview

  Wink Lake falls in Rainy River District, part of Ontario. The setting is rolling bush on every side. It measures some 3.84 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. At about 20 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. It ranks high for size among our Rainy River District listings. Atikokan is the closest town at 44 km. Ely is 52 km away, with Babbitt at 75 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Wink Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Rainy River District list northern pike, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Wink Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -16°C in January and 18°C in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Wink Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. That Lake sits 2 km off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Wink Lake in what we hold.