Barn Lake in Thunder Bay District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Barn Lake is a Thunder Bay District water, Ontario side. The country here is taiga. This is a pocket water of some 7 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Thunder Bay District. 30 km away sits Longlac, the nearest town. For a city, Thunder Bay is 230 km off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Barn Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Work Barn Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -18°C at the bottom of winter. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Barn Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Greenwater Lake, 1.2 km out. For Barn Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.