The kenora part of Lake of the woods has some very good Northern Pike fishing. Many anglers come here to fish for walleye to eat, then they target northern pike for the action. You won’t be disappointed here. There are plenty of bays that attract northern pike during the spring and fall and you can fish the deeper water near the points and islands once these fish go deeper in the summer.
Fishing Kenora in the Spring
| Month | Avg. Temps °F (Hi/Lo) |
| March | 31° / 8° |
| April | 48° / 26° |
| May | 63° / 40° |
Anglers do very well out on Lake of the Woods and in the area lakes during the spring. Once the ice is out, northern pike will be found in shallow water in many of the bays out on Lake of the Woods. You can find good numbers of northern pike with some quality fish mixed in too. Some of the larger pike will be found in the shallows for most of May depending on the weather. As the water warms up, the bigger pike will usually move out into deeper water.
Fishing Kenora in the Summer
| Month | Avg. Temps °F (Hi/Lo) |
| June | 72° / 49° |
| July | 78° / 56° |
| August | 74° / 53° |
In the summer, good numbers of northern pike are going to be found out on the main lake structure and around deeper weed edges off of islands, points and in the bays. This part of the lake has good numbers of smallmouth bass and walleye, so in many of these spots you’re going to find Bass and walleye with some Pike mixed in. If you want to target northern pike exclusively, you’re probably going to have to hit many different spots to catch better numbers of northern pike on any given day.
Fishing Kenora in the Fall
| Month | Avg. Temps °F (Hi/Lo) |
| September | 62° / 43° |
| October | 49° / 34° |
| November | 30° / 17° |
In the fall, northern pike fishing can be very exciting as good numbers of pike will move back into the shallows as they follow baitfish. From the end of August through the middle of September, anglers can usually find pike shallow and deep. The deep water bite usually improves from the end of September through the rest of the fall.
Fishing Kenora in the Winter (Ice Fishing)
| Month | Avg. Temps °F (Hi/Lo) |
| December | 14° / -5° |
| January | 10° / -11° |
| February | 18° / -6° |
Ice fishing is popular in this part of Lake of the Woods. Northern pike are a popular fish to catch through the ice and some nice pike are caught each season.
More Fishing Tips
Catch Lots of Northern Pike
Anglers that target pike here can catch very good numbers of fish by targeting the bays and islands with some vegetation. The rocks will also hold a lot of pike too, so don’t rule them out. Basically, you can find pike pretty much anywhere in the Kenora area. You may have to move around a little and cover some water, but if you target them, you will catch a lot of pike here.
Catch Big Northern Pike
If you’re looking to target bigger pike, you can find some nice pike in the Kenora area. You may have to take a 20 minute boat ride to fish less pressured waters to get some of the big fish to bite, but there are plenty of quality pike in this area. Anglers routinely catch pike in mid to upper 30 inch range with fish up to and above 40 inches possible too.
Fishing the Bays
There are so many bays in the Kenora area. Most of them will have rocks, some with have sand bottoms and some will have some weeds in them. The bays with weeds will usually hold more pike, but don’t rule out the rocky bays either as many pike will be in these areas too. The bays usually provide better fishing early and late in the year, but you can usually find some pike willing to cooperate in the bays during the summer as well.
Fishing the Drop-offs
There are many good drop-offs that will hold plenty of smallmouth bass and walleye. In some of these areas, you are going to find some nicer sized pike here too. On the deeper weed edges, you will most likely find more pike. On the rocky areas, you will usually find more smallmouth bass and/or walleye, but don’t be surprised if you find some of the better sized pike in these spots from summer through fall.
Fishing the Points
There are so many points to fish. Many of them have rocks on them. Some of them have some weeds too. The rocks and weeds will both hold plenty of pike around the points, so don’t just fish the points with weeds when seeking out northern pike. The points that have access to some deeper water nearby will usually give you a better chance at finding bigger numbers of pike or better quality fish.
Fishing the Islands
There are so many islands to fish and many of them will be similar to the points. You are going to have some rocks and weeds to fish, but pike will be found in both areas. Find some deeper water closer to the islands and you will most likely find some of the better spots of the islands to fish for pike.
Fishing the Reefs
The reefs get overlooked for pike by many anglers, but you can usually find some quality pike hanging out around the reefs from summer through fall. Most anglers will catch pike while targeting walleye with a simple jig and minnow. Try trolling them to cover water more quickly to find some of the better reefs for pike.
Fishing the Rocks
There are so many rocks in this area that you’re going to definitely be fishing rocks if you’re targeting pike here. You would have a hard time here if you’re just looking to fish weeds since many of the good pike spots will be full of rocks. Fish the points and islands and you’ll find plenty of pike here. Don’t forget about the offshore structure that is known for holding quality fish from summer through fall.
Fishing the Weeds
If you just target the weeds, you’re going to need to run and gun a little bit, which is possible. However, you’re going to pass some good rocky spots though while you take off for the next spot. Many of the islands and points will have some weeds around them. Find the ones with a deeper weed edge and you’ll do a lot better for pike in the summer and early fall. Some of the bays have plenty of weeds as well and can be very good in the spring and fall.