Fishing at Aralia Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Ontario holds Aralia Lake, in Thunder Bay District. The bank is 390 metres above sea level. Roughly 46 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With 7.8 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. 52 km away sits Terrace Bay, the nearest town. Schreiber is 53 km away, with Geraldton at 54 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Aralia Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater among the fish reported. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Aralia Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 16°C and January at -18°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Aralia Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Sambucus Lake at 3.6 km is the sensible second choice. For Aralia Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.