IGnace Area Lakes - John Wick, WickPartners

IGnace Area Lakes
How to Get There
Two Driving Routes into the Region Covered
Both primary driving routes to this region from the U.S. pass through
Duluth, Minnesota, about 150 miles north of Minneapolis and 450 miles
northwest of Chicago.
One route follows the north shore of Lake Superior to Thunder Bay,
Ontario. Then it follows the TransCanada Highway 17, entering from the east as
show below.
From Duluth to Thunder Bay is a little over two hours and from Thunder
Bay to Ignace a little more than two hours, depending on how one drives. A
good idea is to spend a night in Grand Marais, Minnesota (maybe a nine or ten
hour drive from Chicago) and enter Canada in the morning. That usually leaves
plenty of time for Saturday afternoon fishing.
The other route leaves Duluth on US53 to International Falls, Minnesota,
then cuts into Canada for 15 miles east on Canadian Highway 11 and then north
about 100 miles to Dryden, Ontario on Highway 502.
Dryden, Ontario, a town of about 10,000.
Both drives have a lot of
nice scenery but my choice
is the trip up the north shore
of Lake Superior on US61 to
Thunder Bay.
Highway 502 from
International Falls.
TransCanada
Highway 17 from
Thunder Bay
Highway 502 from
International Falls is a
beautiful drive, too, but is
a narrow road with narrow
shoulders.
Three perfectly satisfactory camps could be used for the lakes described
in this Ignace Area GoDrivePAK.

Flayers Lodge, just north of Ignace, is most centrally located
and most convenient to Ignace. (www.flayerslodge.ca)
Flayers also has boats stashed on quite a number of the lakes
described (and have been cooperative about bringing a boat
and motor to a lake for a customer’s use.)

Cozy Camp, about 20 miles north of Flayers on Highway 599,
is located right on the English River. That adds a 20 mile drive
to the other lakes described herein. www.cozycamp.com


Raleigh Lake Resort (raleighlakeresort.com) is about 25
miles west of Flayers on Highway 17. Turn south off the
road where a very nice rest area with a waterfall is
located. The resort is another mile up the road. To get to
the lakes described would involve a little more driving
each day.
Raleigh Lake Resort is also located on what many
consider a prime fishing lake, especially for lake trout.
Natives seem to rate the taste of Raleigh Lake trout at a
very high level. At the very end of this report, after Smirch
Lake, you can find a map and some descriptions of the
lake.
A Closer Look at the Region Covered by These GoDrivePaks
Just to get oriented, at the bottom right is a circled “1.” That is
TransCanada Highway 17 into the region from Thunder Bay. On the bottom left
is a circled “10” is Hwy. 502 in from International Falls. From where that circled
“1” is to Dryden is about 90 miles. Hwy. 17 is a pretty good two-lane road with
passing lanes. The width of the map can be driven in less than two hours.
In order of appearance, here are the locations identified by the circled
numbers 2 through 9 (see above for 1 and 10.)






2 is the location of Flayers Lodge.
3 is the location of Cozy Camp.
4 is one of the primary roads to the lakes in the IgnaceArea section.
5 is the road to the three lakes Talman, Suzanne, and Amik.
6 is the road to Sandy Point Camp and lakes around there.
Hwy. 622 is the road to lakes around West Hawk on Highway 622 to
Atikokan.
 7 is the Snake Bay Road to a series of good fishing locations.
 8 is the location of Raleigh Resort.
 9 is the general region of Smirch Lake.
The drive is long. Why go that far?
A really, really simple answer is this: Those of us who love to fish
have always, in our dreams, wanted to be in a region where:
 Alone. A place where most of the time your boat is the only
one on the lake or, at worst, a couple other boats are seen
during a day.
 Quiet. Lakeside cabins are rarely seen. No water skiers or
annoying personal watercraft are seen, or worse, heard.
 Beauty. In every direction, a beautiful scene.
 Wildlife. Eagles, often. Moose, just about every trip. Bear,
sometimes too often. Deer. Grouse.
 Fishing. Lake after lake after river – most of which can be
driven to.
 Cost. This will come as a shock. The cost for a week’s vacation
with fishing is considerably less in this region than a week near
Bemidji, Minnesota or Villas County or Hayward, Wisconsin or
the Kentucky River.
 At any of the resorts mentioned here, two people can rent a
two-bedroom cabin with everything needed (heat, refrigerator,
shower, cooking) plus a boat and motor and things like
minnows for less than $900, or less that $450 apiece. If three
share the cost (and the cabins hold four quite easily), the cost is
less. Of course, there are additions: food, drinks, transportation.
But $800 apiece, for two traveling together, goes much further
here than any of the locations mentioned above.
 The drive is further but the drive itself is beautiful along Lake
Superior and then through southern Ontario.
Absolute Necessity
Before embarking on a day’s excursion, make sure someone knows where
you are going. Not just anyone; someone who will know if you do not
return and will do something about it.
Absolute Necessity for Amateur Outdoorsman (like me!)
A good compass, a GPS, and a good map of the lake to which you are
going. The Energy, Mines, and Resources maps named herein can be
purchased from Federal Maps Inc. (www.fedmaps.com or email
[email protected] or call 416 607, 6250 or write 425 Adelaide St. W.
Ste. 802, Toronto, ON M5V 3C1)
IGnace Area Lakes
Kukukus Lake
Mitt Lake
Arethusa Lake
Barrel Lake
Little Snowstorm Lake
English River
Cozy Camp
Berglund Lake
Victoria Lake
Paguchi Lake
Cecil Lake
Indian Lake
Sandbar Lake and
Flayers Lodge
Ignace (on Hwy. 17)
Two lakes not shown will be covered at the end. One is Raleigh
Lake, where Raleight Resort is located. The other covers some nice likes
around West Hawk Lake, about twenty miles south of Highway 622 to
Atikokan.
Two camps are in the region. Cozy Camp is north of Ignace where
the English River crosses under it. Flayers Lodge is just four mile north of
Ignace, more centrally located for these lakes. My choice is Flayers
Lodge, partially for location but mostly because it is a reasonably-priced,
well-run lodge with very accommodating owners.
On the left is inside a
cabin at Flayers, and
to the right, taken in
late September, a
picture from Sandbar
Lake (about a quarter
mile from Flayer’s
dock.)
Flayers has about twenty cabins, but, for those who choose to bring
their own lodging, there are well-spaced campsites with electrical
hookups.
Cecil Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/11, called Mattabi)
Most people fish it for lake trout but
big northern pike also can be caught.
The road to Cecil Lake is located just about 10 miles north of Flayers’
on Highway 599. For those watching a GPS, it is at about 49o 34.7’ North.
From the highway the road is about a quarter mile. At the lake, the boats
are clearly in view. Flayers has a boat at the lake.
The lake is a little over
four miles long, north to
south, and over a mile
wide. Without any
obstructions, a 10 mph
north or south wind can
get it rolling.
5 (see below)
The circled numbers are:
1 is for Highway 599. This is a paved, two-lane highway.
2 is the turnoff accessing Cecil, about 10 miles north of Flayers and
three miles south of Cozy Camp.
3 is where Cecil Creek enters. Both directions are rocky. Good
place for spring trout or northern pike year around.
4 (see below)
5 is marked where a little creek comes in at the south end and the
shoreline falls off pretty sharply. Although I got blown off the
lake on my first trip there, this seems like a good shore for
summer trout.
4 is near an interesting horseshoeshaped land mass with serious rocks
jutting out from the southern point.
Arguably the lake’s best fishing area.
Nasty in the wind and rain, as the
picture of the author holding a nice
trout shows.
English River
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/11, called Mattabi)
Good-sized northern pick, walleyes, and feisty
small mouth bass can be caught along over 30
miles of river accessed easily off Highway 599.
The picture was taken from the
bridge over the English River on
Hwy. 599 and shows the boat
launch. Cozy Camp is located
on the east side of the road just
before the bridge.
The boat shown is from Flayers Lodge. From Flayers, the drive on
Highway 599 is less than 20 miles. The river flows from east to west, winding
its way through Ontario into the Lake of the Woods northern regions.
From where that boat is shown, upriver (going briefly south but then
generally east) is a nice, winding five or six mile trip to Talking Falls.
Downriver, going first north for about three miles and then generally west,
is the ride to Barrel Lake. Roughly speaking, the trip to Barrel Lake is about
ten miles.
The first map shown will be
of the trip upriver to Talking
Falls. The trip is worthwhile
just for the scenery and the
falls at the end. Fishing is
just a bonus. The picture
was taken from a Flayers
outpost cabin location,
looking down at Talking
Falls.
Just to get you
oriented, the
circled 1 is high
599 from Ignace
(and Flayers’.)
The circled 2 is
the access point
shown in the first
picture shown.
3 is where the English River goes north before going west into
Barrel Lake. The region will also be shown on the map
below of Barrel Lake.
4 is where Talking Falls is located and as far east as a boat
can go without a rather nasty portage at the outpost
cabin. Before the falls is a rocky area and (further west)
a weedy region for walleyes.
5 marks an opening into a shallow bay. In spring, the
northerns should be right above the dormant weeks. In
fall, the ones caught were smaller.
6 marks a place just across from the access point where, for
some reason, northern pike seem to congregate.
As in any river, the fishing spots on the English River change from
year-to-year, depending on water level and winter freeze. By and large,
the smallmouth and the northerns seem to be located at about the same
kind of areas.
Barrel Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/11, called Mattabi, then continued 52
G/12 called Mameigwess Lake)
Here is the Barrel Lake Map. To get oriented, the circled 1 is
the same place as the circled 3 on the upriver map of
the river.
2 is marked at a recommended fishing stretch but, in truth,
the river provides one good option after another.
3 marks where the English River actually exits Barrel Lake
heading north at first and eventually winding its way
across Ontario.
4 marks Barrel Lake. The other arrow from the circled 4 marks
a waterway (creek) to Meridian Lake with fairly steep
elevations on the east side.
6 marks Victoria Lake (a larger map is shown later.)
5 marks Barrel Lake’s end at the Agimak River. The Agimak
River then flows into Indian Lake (also shown in greater
detail below). But don’t thinking about just boating
through. Barrel Lake is at elevation 401 meters and
Indian Lake at elevation 411 meters. Thus Indian Lake
Falls is about 10 meters (over 30 feet), a pretty tough
climb for a boat.
Sandbar Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/5, called Ignace)
Little Indian Lake (larger map to
follow.)
Sandbar Lake Provincial Park, a
nice place to put a camper.
Flayers Lodge.
Road to northwest lakes.
Both roads lead to Ignace. The
eastern one is paved.
Sandbar Lake is a pretty lake but no great shakes as a fishing
lake. However, in the spring, walleye can be caught
about where the arrow is marked on the southwest
bay. Others have bragged of northerns being caught
just east of that arrow along the shore.
Paguchi Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/12, called Mameigwess Lake and the
east end of the lake is on the Mattabi map,
G/11)
Lake trout and northern pike.
The circled 1 is the
road from Ignace
(and Flayers) shown
on the map above.
2 is where the Flayers
boats are parked.
3 is the road into
Victoria Lake (shown
next.)
4 shows where the
shoreline has a fairly
steep elevation.
Access to the lake is near the circled 2. On a GPS, that would
be at about latitude 49o 32.8’ N.
Camping is nearby this public launch
area onto Paguchi. This is just a little
bit north of where Flayers’ boats are
kept.
The steep topology to the west and north of the west end
continue to make the west end deep, like a big bath
tub. This would certainly be the place to look for
summer lake trout. Take this with care since my guidestatus credentials are modest to a fault, but my search
is for somewhere that flattens out at about 60 feet (at
least for a little while) after a steep fall.
That little island shown at the south end of the west bay is also
steep, falling off sharply. Were I a northern pike, this
looks like a good hiding place.
Almost directly across from the launch point begins a rocky
shore with many little islands. Casting or trolling north
along the shore leads to narrow point with a
passageway south and east. Again, were I a northern
pike, this seems like a good place to hide.
Paguchi Lake is at elevation 418 and Indian Lake, into which
the Paguchi River drains near the launch point, is at
elevation 411 (meters above sea level.) That makes the
drop about 20 feet and would require someone brave
and capable of handling a canoe with excellence.
Paguchi is an interesting lake because it is considerably
higher than Indian Lake, into which it drains, and yet
there is no apparent river or lake that drains into it. The
water certainly should be clean!
Victoria Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/12, called Mameigwess Lake and the
east end of the lake is on the Mattabi map,
G/11)
Lake trout and northern pike.
The access road to Victoria Lake is about four miles north of the
Paguchi launch point. Right after Paguchi (a little more than two miles
going almost straight north) is a gravel road east. Pass that and the road
turns more northwest. Past that, a little over a mile, is the road to Victoria.
The GPS latitude is about 49o 35.4’ north. The access road goes north for
about a half mile, then turns right (east) into the lake.
The lake is just under ten miles long from west to east only wider
than a half-mile at the west end.
The circled numbers on the map are for:
1 shows the road in from Ignace, Flayers, and Paguchi.
2 is little Berglund Lake, shown next.
3 is the road continuing to Little Snowstorm Lake, Kukukus
Lake, Mitt Lake and Arethusa Lake.
4 is the access road. The 5 is marked where, on a day when
the wind was howling from the west, prudent fisherman
caught some northerns.
6 is a creek flows out, down to Barrel Lake, just about 60 feet
lower! 7 has just about the perfect bottom for summer
lake trout fishing.
Victoria Lake is deep. On the map, where the words ―Victoria
Lake‖ appear, the bottom falls off sharply, deep
enough for summer lake trout most of the way. The
bottom flattens out a little up toward the outlet toward
Barrel Lake which is where any northern pike with
common sense ought to be hanging out. Caught on
the east end when a west wind picks up makes the trip
home memorable.
Berglund Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/12, called Mameigwess Lake)
Brook trout
Berglund Lake is small. From the
X at the road to the furthest
northeast corner is just about a
half mile. The lake is wellmarked, just after the road to
Victoria Lake. The latitude there
is about 490 35.6’ North.
Berglund Lake is a small, fairly deep little lake that has been
stocked by the Ontario resource folks with brook trout.
A canoe works best on this
little lake. Flayers Lodge has a
17-foot, canoe with a blunt
stern for rent. Here is a picture
of the author’s patient wife in
that very same canoe on a
beautiful late-September day.
The lake is well below the road. Although there is a good
place to pull a vehicle off the road, the path down to
the lake is too narrow and steep to drive down. At a
time like this, a two-wheeled canoe caddy (available
in the big outdoor sport gear catalogs) really works
well. Although neither the nice lady pictured above or
the author are weight lifters, pulling the canoe back up
the path on the canoe caddy was not too hard.
Although an electric trolling motor was along, the lake was
much more enjoyable using just the paddles. Fish or
not, the place is a delightful, quiet place to spend a
day. Anywhere the lake provided cover into deeper
water (a couple of fallen trees provided that), those
little trout were almost constantly after the bait. The
largest one landed (floating jigs and minnows) was just
over a pound.
Indian Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/12, called Mameigwess Lake)
Walleye and northern pike
Indian Lake really consists
of three connected lakes.
The three sections pass to
the west of Paguchi (the
circled 7), Victoria (the
circled 4), and Berglund
lakes.
At the circled 6 is Agimak
River, emptying water
from Indian Lake into
Barrel Lake, nearly 30 feet
lower.
1 on the map marks Sandbar Lake, where Flayers Lodge is
located. The Agimak River flows out of Sandbar Lake
(elevation 415 meters above sea level) down into
Indian lake, about twelve feet below.
2 marks the road from Ignace and Flayers Lodge.
3 marks the boat launch area. Substantial parking exists for
trailers. Even in late September, four to six trailers were
routinely seen left there by optimistic fisherman.
5 is the first small part of the lake called, appropriately, Little
Indian Lake. In the spring, fishing is not allowed
because this is an important walleye breeding area.
Little Indian Lake is about two miles long. The waterway
connects through the Agimak River, a distance of a
little more than a half mile.
The middle section is about eight miles from south the north.
Just about half-way is a very narrow section. After that
narrow passage, to the east, is where the Paguchi River
flows in from Lake Paguchi. Given that Paguchi is
nearly twenty feet higher, a good of water should be
moving about there.
The most northern section, from which the river flows into
Barrel Lake, is widest. The size is about four miles by two
miles. Before the road (where the Agimak River drops
nearly thirty feet into Barrel Lake) is a camping outfitter.
Little Snowstorm Lake
Snowstorm Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/12, called Mameigwess Lake)
Brook trout and ??
Less than two miles after crossing the Agimak River bridge as Indian
Lake empties into Barrel Lake, Little Snowstorm Lake (the first part of which
is certainly appropriate) will be found. Like Berglund Lake, this lake is
stocked with brook trout. And, like Berglund lake, a narrow, rather steep
pathway goes down to the lake.
The arrow locates the path down to
the lake. The latitude is about 49o 37.3’
North.
Little Snowstorm is barely a quarter mile
each way. The map shows Snowstorm
Lake adjacent with a small creek
between.
On the last trip, time prevented actually taking the canoe down the
hill to spend a day exploring. This much is personally known about the
lake:
First, in both spring and fall, standing down by the lake, the
view is beautiful. A cute manageable little lake which
is probably as filled with brook trout as Berglund Lake
was.
Second, the bigger lake (Snowstorm) can probably be
reached, either through the creek or pulling the canoe
over a short portage. That lake is long and thin,
perhaps one and a half miles long and no more than a
quarter mile wide.
Third, at the north end of Snowstorm Lake is a creek which
leads into a third small lake, Reguly. Actually, the two
together, Snowstorm and Reguly, appear more like a
wide river than two small lakes.
This is just conjecture since there is no personal experience to
bring, but the water certainly looks like it would have
northern pike at a minimum.
Off to Kukukus Lake. Talk about going from the small to the large.
Try REALLY large.
Kukukus Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/12, called Mameigwess Lake and the
north end is on the Yonde map 52 G/13)
Walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass
Kukukus Lake is one of those beautiful, awe and fear inspiring lakes
that brings a lot of people (such as the author) back to this region again
and again. Stormy Lake (near Sandy Point Camp) is like that, too. Other
fishing locations people brag about – Bemidji, Minnesota area or Villas
County or Hayward, Wisconsis or the Kentucky River cannot compare to
these nearly endless, island-filled, cabin-free and noise-free lakes.
The lake is about
14 miles long,
south to north.
The 1 marks an
incoming stream.
Most comments
mention the north
end, especially
for walleyes.
Look how the
entire lake is filled
with island and
narrows and
inlets. Be
prepared; it is all
going to look the
same after while.
The 2 marks the Basket River flowing into Flying Loon Lake.
Going northeast, the river will connect to Flying Loon
Lake…but…rapids are marked right before that
junction.
The 3 marks a small creek leading into an even smaller,
unnamed lake.
The 4 shows the Basket River eventually connecting the Mitt
Lake (shown later.) Personal experience includes
fishing up the river (in spring) for walleyes—a very nice
and pretty trip. From there to Mitt Lake is about three
miles by water, and since Mitt Lake is marked as nearly
twenty feet higher, a couple portages will have to be
made. (But, since Mitt is higher, at least the boat won’t
stumble onto a waterfall!)
Where x’s are shown on the map are GPS markings made
where we actually fished for walleye.
The 5 marks a place to fish for northern pike with Juniper
Creek going through to Heathwalt Lake. Heathwalt is
shown as seven meters (more than 20 feet) higher so
water must be running in that creek.
The 6 marks a creek from Dome Lake into Kukukus. Boats use
this creek for access to Kukukus because there is a road
the access the northwest corner shown on the
Mameigwess Lake map and mentioned frequently by
people who have made the trip. (Those people
caution that the boat launch is steep and useable only
for an empty boat.)
Look about two-thirds of
the way up the map for
a small island marked
―Shore Lunch.‖ Here
are the two owners of
Flayers cutting up some
walleye caught 30
minutes earlier.
Brent is supervising?
Jesse is working?
The heavy black arrow marks where Kukukus can be entered
for the boats and motors available to rent from Flayers
Lodge. The road in is at about latitude 49o 42.5’. Drive
the equivalent of about a block and park; then there is
a wooden walkway down the to dock. An easy trip:
the boats, motors, life vests, minnows and buckets, and
everything else needed are right there at the dock.
Mitt Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/12, called Mameigwess Lake and on
the Yonde map 52 G/13)
―1‖ marks the Basket River’s
entry into Mitt Lake. The trip is
about three miles and, since
Kukukus is about twenty feet
lower, must have a portage
or two.
―2‖ shows where the Basket
River flows into Mitt Lake from
Arethusa Lake. This looks
more promising because the
distance is just over a mile
and Arethusa is just a couple
feet higher than Mitt.
―3‖ marks Arethusa Lake, ―4‖
marks Flayer’s entrance to
Kukukus Lake, and 5 the road
back toward Ignace.
A number of features make this an attractive fishing (and
viewing!) destination. Begin with the Basket River.
From my sighting (from the road only), it appears the Basket
River from Arethusa into the lake is passable and
fishable. At the east end, at least some of it must be
boatable and fishable.
Past experience suggests that small lake like that with moving
water passing through can be good sources for big
northern pike at both the entry and exit level. The
caution with which all these comments are made is
based on the actuality that no personal experience
(yet) can be brought into the discussion.
Arethusa Lake
Abamategwia Lake
(also known as Flatrock Lake)
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/12, called Mameigwess Lake)
The entrance to Arethusa is
where the Basket River flows
into Mitt Lake. The entrance
is about two miles north of
the Flayers entrance to
Kukukus, at about latitude
49o 44.2’ North.
Abamategwia (or Flatrock)
Lake through a short run on
the Basket River with the
south end reached through
that long ―neck‖ part of the
lake.
From the launch point to the Basket River is about seven miles
by water. Commentators report catching enough fish
for the day close to the launch site and that a good
shore lunch place is nearby.
My excellent fisherman friend Dan the pharmacist warns of
nasty rocks exiting Arethusa for Flatrock. The trip all the
way to the south end of Flatrock is at least a half hour.
Look at the map above and at the big island in the middle of
the south end of Flatrock Lake. Fish for walleye leaving
the narrow opening to the smaller island. Off the
southwest corner of the big island people fish for trout
and across from there walleye.
The most southwest corner is marshy with a little creek coming
in. Right in the middle of that most-south shore is a little
creek from Tremble Lake. Self-respecting northern pike
would certainly protect those waters.
Smirch Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources
Canada Map 52 F/8 Stormy Lake, 52 F/1
Pedagoning Lake, and the very end of Dibble
Lake on 52 G/4 White Otter Lake)
Were Smirch Lake closer, it would be heavily fished. All the lakes are
beautiful in their serenity but Smirch Lake is in a class of its own. First, there
beautiful double-falls flowing, flowing down from Dibble Lake six meters
(about 20 feet) higher. Below the falls is spectacular fishing for walleye,
northern and smallmouth bass at the same place. Else where, interesting
rock formations, Native petroglyphs clearly visible,
The double falls with the
back of Brent, Flayers
owner, busy catching fish.
In an international
competition for beautiful
fishing spots, this one just
has to rank pretty high.
Smirch and Dibble is well south and west of Flayers (and of
Raleigh Resort.) Where we accessed was at latitude
49o 14.5’ and longitude 92o 3.9’. Part of it is actually
part of the Turtle River Provincial Park.
Getting there is NOT half the fun. Brent does a great job
driving, but the hour-long trip seems a good deal like a
carnival ride at the end, sloshing through water and
jumping serious road ruts. My four-wheel drive Jeep
Wrangler will not be making that trip alone.
This fishing, however, was great. Here is my fishing partner,
Mike McCrae (usually known as Crusher) with what was
just an average walleye that day. Brent’s northern,
caught six feet away, is no minnow, either.
―1‖ shows where the boat was
stored.
―2‖ is where the falls, pictured
above, were located.
―3‖ marks Dibble Lake, said to be
at least as nice as Smirch.
―4‖ marks the Turtle River, not too
far away but no connecting
streams show.
―5‖ shows where the Turtle River
flows into Bending Lake. A
waterway appears to go up to
Bending and then back down
to Smirch BUT there are some
nasty-looking rapids.
―6‖ points to Hwy. 622 about ten
miles west and inaccessible.
Raleigh Lake
(Shown on Energy, Mines and Resources Canada
Map 52 G/5, called Ignace)
Walleye, northern pike, and lake trout
―1‖ is Highway 17 in from
Ignace.
―2‖ is the turnoff. On a
GPS latitude 49o 25’
longitude 91o 55,2’
―3‖ marks Raleigh Falls in
a really nice rest area
for Highway 17.
―4‖ is where most of the
cabins are with lake
views.
―5‖ marks the road
toward Sandy Point
and Snake Bay Road.
―6‖ marks high 622 down
to Atikokan and to
the West Hawk lakes
areas.
Honesty requires acknowledging that, despite perhaps fifteen trips to this
region, Raleigh Lake has never been a fishing destination. That error will be
corrected in the spring of 2007. This would be my plan to attack the lake:
Cracker Bay (furthest west) is about two miles by less than a mile
wide. The river is flowing out from the north (close to the
cabins) so that seems like a walleye spot in spring. The
south end has a lot of nooks and crannies and tight
waterways to two little lakes. Self-respecting northerns, it
seems, would take up residence about here. The terrain to
the west is fairly flat suggesting that the west bay is not
deep. If it grows deep weeds, the northerns would be there.
The terrain in the middle section between Cracker Bay and the
main lake is hard to decipher. A prediction would be that the
south end on the east side is deepest.
Raleigh Lake itself looks like a big lobster. The lake is about three
miles long and two miles wide, with a really big island (in
truth, a peninsula) between the lobster’s claws. The
shoreline around the south end, extending northward on
both the east and west sides, is high. The lake is at
elevation 455 meters above sea level and many of the
contours less than 100 feet from shore are at 500 meters. In
summer, that region would be the choice for finding deep
trout. In spring, all those little rock outcroppings would be
attractive places to cast for them.
West Hawk Lake and Bending River Area
(Energy, Mines and Resources map 52 F/8 called
Stormy Lake)
This is Highway 622, a south
turn, about 20 miles west of
Flayers or about 15 miles east
of Borups Corner for Sandy
Point Camp (from Hwy. 17.)
Bending
River
West Hawk Lake
From Sandy Point, West Hawk Lake will be about an hour’s drive.
(From Raleigh Resort, the trip is probably only half that long.) Sandy Point
people would turn each on Highway 17 and Raleigh Resort or Flayers
people west. Either way, watch for Highway 622, marked to Atikokan. A
little less than fifteen miles south is the parking spot for West Hawk. A small
sign does identify the lake. The latitude of the parking area is about 49o
24.5’ north.
The parking area has room for a few cars. The end of the parking
area has a rather steep drop—my Wrangler has never tried to go down it
with a boat on top. Some sort of a boat caddy would make the trip down
more comfortable—it is not more than 50 or 60 feet from the car park to
the launch place. The grade away from the launch are is pretty gentle,
making West Hawk a little difficult to launch on when the water is low.
The lake is long and narrow, not quite three miles long. The
lake has a distinct north, middle, and south bay. In my
experience, the consistently best fishing is near where
Bending Creek comes in, near where the lake narrows
between the north and middle, and where the water is
flowing out to the unnamed lake east of West Hawk.
That waterfall is marked ―4‖ on the map. That waterfall
represents a pretty good drop—don’t expect to water
ski down it. However, having a group of young, strong
fisherman drag a boat down (and back up again) is
not unusual.
The very south end is quite shallow and, at times, yields nice
northern. On the west shore, there is a high rock with
an almost perfect fireplace for a shore lunch.
Bending Creek fishing ranks high on the pleasant experience
scale. Getting it, though, takes some doing. About
where the ―3‖ is marked the water cascading down
from Bending Creek can be seen. To the left, there are
high, smooth rocks that can be climbed (be sure to
secure the boat; water is moving past quickly.) Not too
far over is a little tributary the leads above the falls and
allows a boat to go up the creek. A canoe might be a
good choice to take in. My personal experiences
includes walleye just about anywhere the creek got
deeper and good-sized northern at the northeast end.
Where the ―6‖ is marked is an easy portage to still
another lake—one that is rarely fished. Personal
experience includes only catching walleye.
The ―3‖ marks a series of lakes that is great fun for those who
can get in. A high bridge goes over the creek
between West Hawk and those three lakes on the west
side. (Unfortunately, I don’t know if that is an
impassable culvert under the road or not.) A little
access road allows car parking to the north and, from
there, I worked a 12-foot about around the weeds and
into the creek. This seemed pretty much virgin water at
the time. The first lake gave fast northern action; the
second one, which took a little polling through the
weeds, had both walleye and northern.