Coli Lake
Walleye opens Sat, May 16 — it lies 36 km north of Red Lake, and a charted depth map is on file.
Coli Lake is the 121st-largest of 1,629 named lakes in Ontario Far North, with 33 miles of charted shoreline and 27 islands. Its 30 ft maximum depth is greater than 26% of depth-surveyed lakes in the region.
MNRF aquatic resource surveys
Fish species
Also present: Cisco, Emerald Shiner, Mimic Shiner, Shorthead Redhorse, Spottail Shiner, Trout-Perch, White Sucker
On this water
Lodges & operators 0
No lodge is based on Coli Lake itself. These are the closest that are — each on its own water, with the straight-line distance from here.
- Fireside Lodge✓ Verifiedlodgedrive-tohousekeeping11 mi away
Home water: Little Vermilion Lake
Drive-to lodge on Little Vermilion Lake near Sioux Lookout, the only camp on the lake, with boat and portage access to a multi-lake system (site cites both 9- and 11-lake figures) fished for walleye, northern pike, muskie, tiger muskie and smallmouth bass. Cabins are housekeeping style with fully equipped kitchens, and home-cooked meals can be pre-ordered separately. Per-person packages bundle a 16 ft Lund with a 20 hp Yamaha.
- lodgefly-inhousekeeping11 mi away
Home water: Little Vermilion Lake
Fly-in housekeeping lodge on Little Vermilion Lake north of Red Lake, reached by float plane from a base on the Chukuni River, and the only lodge on the lake. Fishing is for northern pike and walleye, with a catch-and-release policy releasing all pike over 35.5 inches. The operator also runs three fly-in outpost cabins northwest of the lodge on Hornell, Mantricia and Warrington lakes plus fly-out guided moose hunts; Warrington and Mantricia straddle the Ontario/Manitoba border and require licences for both provinces.
- Geary's Manitoba Trophy Outposts Inc.✓ Verifiedoutpost networkfly-inhousekeeping11 mi away
Home water: Little Vermilion Lake
Family-run fly-in operation north of Red Lake, Ontario, pairing a small housekeeping lodge on Little Vermilion Lake with three remote outpost camps on Warrington, Mantricia and Hornell lakes, all reached only by float plane. Trophy northern pike and walleye are the draw, with Warrington and Mantricia straddling the Ontario-Manitoba boundary and fished under Manitoba limits; fly-out moose hunts are also sold.
- Owl's Nest LodgeListed — not yet verified15 mi away
Home water: Trout Lake
owlsnestlodge.ca · 705-857-2565
2026 regulations
Seasons & limitsFMZ 4
Ice-out here is typically mid May (modeled from regional ice records).
| Species | Season | Sport licence | Conservation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | Open all year | S - 4, none between 70 - 90 cm (27.6 - 35.4 in.), not more than 1 greater than 90 cm (35.4 in.) | C - 2, none between 70 - 90 cm (27.6 - 35.4 in.), not more than 1 greater than 90 cm (35.4 in.) |
| Walleye and Sauger or any combination | Jan. 1 - Apr. 14 & 3rd Sat. in May - Dec. 31 | S - 4, not more than 1 greater than 46 cm (18.1 in.) | C - 2, not more than 1 greater than 46 cm (18.1 in.) |
| Yellow Perch | Open all year | S - 50 | C - 25 |
Compiled from MNRF Recreational Fishing Regulations open data (2026 season, zone-wide rules shown for this lake's species). Regulations change by variation order — confirm with the official FMZ 4 summary before you fish.
Eating what you catch
Consumption advisories
Recommended meals per month from Ontario's fish contaminant monitoring — ranges span the tested fish sizes.
| Species | General | Sensitive* | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco (Lake Herring) | 32 | 16 | Mercury |
| Northern Pike | 4–32 | 0–16 | Mercury |
| Walleye | 8–32 | 0–16 | Mercury |
| White Sucker | 16–32 | 12–32 | Mercury, Selenium |
| Yellow Perch | 16 | 8–16 | Mercury, Selenium |
*Women of child-bearing age and children under 15. Compiled from the MECP Guide to Eating Ontario Fish (2025 guide) — check the guide for size-specific advice before keeping fish.
Comparable trips
Similar water
Same region, overlapping species, comparable size.
- Peekwatahmaewee Sahkaheekahn/Berens Lake10 shared species · 6,598 ac
- Pahkayyahkahmahk/Silcox Lake10 shared species · 2,166 ac
- Little Vermilion Lake10 shared species · 13,777 ac
- Peekahchekahmeewee Sahkaheekahn/Pikangikum Lake10 shared species · 15,022 ac
- Birch Lake10 shared species · 28,067 ac
Around this water