Crown Land Near Red Lake

12 crown land sites 8 fishing spots 0 campgrounds

Red Lake is where Highway 105 ends, 170 km north of the Trans-Canada, a gold town on the shore of its namesake lake with float planes taking off from the bay behind the main street. The public land is measured in townships rather than parcels: the Red Lake general-use area is 19 km out, the Hammell Lake forest reserve and conservation reserve 16 to 17 km, the Pine Ridge enhanced management area 25 km, and the Woodland Caribou Forest Reserve — the buffer of the wilderness canoe park that starts a short drive west of town — 30 km. Trout Lake Provincial Park is 32 km away and Pakwash Provincial Park 37 km back down the highway. Fishing needs no drive at all: Howey Bay is 1 km from downtown, Skookum Bay and Jackfish Lake 3 km, Balmer Lake 8 km, Red Lake proper 10 km and Gullrock Lake 15 km, with 71 mapped spots inside 25 km. This page rounds up the closest public land, fishing spots, campgrounds and road trips around Red Lake.

Map

Crown Land Nearby

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Hammell Lake Forest Reserve
Forest Reserve
16 km
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HAMMELL LAKE CONSERVATION RESERVE
Conservation Reserve
17 km
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Red Lake
General Use Area
19 km
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Pine Ridge - Ohkik Ohshayteenah
Enhanced Management Area
25 km
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Woodland Caribou Forest Reserve
Forest Reserve
30 km
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TROUT LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURE RESERVE CLASS)
Provincial Park
31 km
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Pipestone Bay - McIntosh
Enhanced Management Area
33 km
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PAKWASH PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLASS)
Provincial Park
37 km
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Woodland Caribou Provincial Park Addition
Recommended Provincial Park
38 km
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North Pipestone Bay - McIntosh - Ahsinee Weeohpawahgahn
Enhanced Management Area
39 km
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Northern Peisk Lake Park- Woodland Caribou Provincial Park Addition - Payshk Ohsahgaheegahn
Recommended Provincial Park
39 km
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KAHNAHMAYKOOSAYSEEKAHK
Protected Area - Far North
39 km

Nearest Fishing Spots

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Howey Bay
1 km
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Skookum Bay
3 km
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Florin Lake
3 km
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Jackfish Lake
3 km
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Rahill Bay
3 km
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Minnow Lake
3 km
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Aiken's Bay
4 km
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McManus Bay
4 km

Explore the region

Woodland Caribou Sunset Country Quetico Wabakimi Lake Nipigon

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — nearly everything beyond the townsite is crown land: the Hammell Lake forest and conservation reserves are 16 to 17 km out, the Red Lake general-use area 19 km, Pine Ridge enhanced management area 25 km, and the Woodland Caribou Forest Reserve 30 km, with Trout Lake and Pakwash provincial parks at 32 and 37 km.

Walleye, northern pike and lake trout in Red Lake itself, reachable from Howey Bay (1 km), Skookum Bay (3 km) and the main basin (10 km), plus Jackfish Lake (3 km), Balmer Lake (8 km) and Gullrock Lake (15 km) — 71 mapped spots within 25 km. Red Lake has its own management zone rules; check the zone summary.

Yes — dispersed camping on the crown land around Red Lake, Balmertown and the Highway 105 corridor is free for Canadian residents for up to 21 days at one site; non-residents of Canada need a paid permit. Pakwash Provincial Park, 37 km south, is the nearest Ontario Parks campground with services.

The park's forest reserve buffer is about 30 km from town and the main road-accessible entry points are a short drive west; most trips start with a float plane or a lake-to-lake portage route, and the park issues its own backcountry permits separate from crown-land camping.

Offline maps around Red Lake

Public land near Red Lake runs well past the last cell tower. Export the area as a geo-referenced PDF and read it in BorealMaps to keep your GPS position on the map when the signal drops.

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Regulations

A valid Ontario fishing licence and Outdoors Card are required on every lake around Red Lake, and the far northwest has its own zone-specific walleye and lake trout limits and slot sizes, so read the zone summary before your first cast. Woodland Caribou, Trout Lake and Pakwash are Ontario Parks properties — the wilderness park requires backcountry permits — while camping on the surrounding crown land is free for Canadian residents (21-day limit at any one site) and requires a paid permit for non-residents of Canada. This is remote country with long stretches of no cell coverage; fire bans are frequent in dry summers and forest fire closures can shut roads and lakes at short notice.

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