Fishing at Wishbone Lake, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Wishbone Lake lies in Algoma, Ontario. The ground round it is lake country bush. At 3 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Algoma list holds plenty of bigger water. You are 4.9 km from Wawa. Chapleau is 101 km and Hornepayne 132 km. Near neighbours: Swallow Lake sits 0.3 km out, Spud Lake just 0.5 km, Wawa Lake sits 1.4 km out, Walbank Lake just 1.4 km and Sayer Lake sits 1.6 km out. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Wishbone Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Algoma include walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Wishbone Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -15°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Wishbone Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Swallow Lake sits 0.3 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Wishbone Lake is worth confirming on the day.