Ranger Lake, located about 70 km north of Sault Sainte Marie, is part of the Red Lake waterway, a chain including three lakes in all. The waterway is a mecca for sports fishing and canoeists alike.

Jim Masters, from Canadian Tire in Sault Ste. Marie, says that Ranger Lake is great for lake trout and splake. Because the lake is so deep, lake trout are perfectly at home here.

Masters suggests that anglers try minnow fishing with a slow troll and a spinner. Lucky Strikes are popular, he says. Use heavier tackle to go deeper, he says. Masters notes that ice fishing on Ranger Lake is really good.

Masters is very enthusiastic about the fishing opportunities around Sault Ste. Marie. Close to Ranger Lake, the Garden River also offers excellent fishing. “That river is fly-fishing only, and it’s great for speckled trout,” Masters notes.

“Then there’s Heart Lake for splake, and Ottertail Lake for pickerel. Even the boardwalk right in town is a good fishing spot,” Masters suggests. “Anywhere you go within half an hour of town, you’ll find great fishing.

Masters says he’s excited about some of the new tackle available. “There’s something called an Impulse, which is a spinner with beads, a rubber worm with hooks, that will be great for pickerel fishing,” he suggests.

Stop into the Canadian Tire store in Sault Ste. Marie and talk with Jim Masters and the staff in the pro shop for more information.

The summer community of Ranger Lake lies along the south end of the lake off Hwy. 556 and is home to an old fire tower. The annual fishing derby, the Red Lake Classic, takes place each summer.

Ranger Lake is known as part of a canoe circuit that includes Ranger Lake, Saymo, and Gong Lakes, among others.

LAKE ACCESS

Ranger Lake is northeast of Sault Ste. Marie along Hwy 556.

There is a campground at the south end of the lake, and Rainbow Falls Inn is located nearby. There is also accommodation in Sault Ste. Marie.