Fishing at Anvil Lake, Timiskaming District, Ontario

• Overview

  Ontario holds Anvil Lake, in Timiskaming District. Elevation runs to 302 metres. About 2.35 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The outline measures near 16 km, so local knowledge counts. Size puts it in the front rank of our Timiskaming District list. The nearest town is Temiskaming Shores, 42 km away. Haileybury follows at 48 km, then Englehart at 53 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Anvil Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Timiskaming District include brook trout, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Work Anvil Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -16°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan any trip to Anvil Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Inez Lake, 2.1 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Anvil Lake if anything is unclear.