Alpha Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, sits Alpha Lake. Everything around it is taiga. With some 15 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 2.2 km on foot. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. For supplies, Greenstone is 73 km out. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 238 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Alpha Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Alpha Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -20°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on Alpha Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Beta Lake, 1 km away. For Alpha Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.