Fishing at Azadi Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Azadi Lake falls inside Thunder Bay District. It stands 344 metres above sea level. At about 43 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 4.2 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. 66 km away sits Greenstone, the nearest town. For a city, Thunder Bay is 260 km off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Azadi Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Azadi Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 16°C and January at -20°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Azadi Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Lucy Lake is 4.1 km off. Where Azadi Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.