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    Northern OntarioFMZ 12

    Elk Lake – James Township

    Hwy 65, Elk Lake, ON P0J 1G0

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 12 rules

    About this water

    A sleeper walleye lake in the heart of Northern Ontario's mining country. Less known than Nipissing or Timiskaming but produces excellent catches with minimal competition.

    Moderate-sized lake with stained water. Sandy and weedy bottom. Connected to the Montreal River system.

    WalleyeNorthern PikeYellow PerchSmallmouth Bass

    FMZ 12 regulations — Ottawa River & Lake Temiskaming

    A long, narrow zone along the Ontario–Quebec border. It includes the Ontario portions of Lake Temiskaming and the Ottawa River, plus the Madawaska and Mississippi Rivers upstream to the first dam. It is not a Georgian Bay zone.

    • Walleye: 3rd Sat in May – March 1; S-4/C-2.
    • Northern pike: open all year; S-6/C-2 (one over 86 cm).
    • Lake trout: Jan 1 – Sept 30; S-2/C-1.

    Zone check: This location sits on a zone boundary and is awaiting manual confirmation — Coordinate sits within 300 m of the FMZ 8/10/11 junction — zone cannot be resolved from coordinates alone. Confirm the launch location against the MNRF zone map before publishing regulations.

    Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 12 page before your trip.

    Seasonal availability

    Open-season windows for the species found at Elk Lake – James Township, taken from the FMZ 12 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

    Best months to plan a tripany listed species open
    Walleye3rd Sat in May – March 1
    Northern pikeOpen all year

    No FMZ 12 season line published in our summary for: Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass. Check the official page before keeping these species.

    Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 12 page before your trip.

    Fishing tips

    • Timiskaming's big-water walleye respond to trolled spinner rigs on wind-blown points.
    • Massive shoreline drops — use quality electronics.
    • Fish the weed edges in early morning for walleye. Perch school up near the sandy flats. This lake rewards those willing to drive past the popular spots.
    • Access: Free public launch in Elk Lake village. Small gravel lot with trailer access.

    Solunar Calendar— Elk Lake – James Township

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:46 PM – 9:46 PM
    major2:16 AM – 4:16 AM
    minor8:46 AM – 9:46 AM
    major2:16 PM – 4:16 PM

    🌔 Wed, Aug 26

    97% · Rating 98
    minor9:31 PM – 10:31 PM
    major3:01 AM – 5:01 AM
    minor9:31 AM – 10:31 AM
    major3:01 PM – 5:01 PM

    🌕 Thu, Aug 27

    100% · Rating 100
    minor10:14 PM – 11:14 PM
    major3:44 AM – 5:44 AM
    minor10:14 AM – 11:14 AM
    major3:44 PM – 5:44 PM

    Major windows (~2 h) cluster around moon transit and antitransit; minor windows (~1 h) around moonrise and moonset. Local approximations — verify against a printed almanac for planning.

    Gear setup

    Setup:
    Medium spinning for walleye; light for perch
    Rod:
    6'6" medium spinning rod
    Reel:
    Size 2500 spinning
    Line:
    8 lb braid with fluorocarbon leader
    Best bait:
    Minnows, Worms, Leeches
    Best lures:
    Jig & minnow (chartreuse), Twister tail grub, Small crankbait, Worm harness
    Directions

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