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

• Overview

  Bear Trap Lake is set in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The country here is pine and birch. Small at around 9 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. There is roughly 1.4 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. Schreiber is the closest town at 19 km. Thunder Bay sits 138 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Bear Trap Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Bear Trap Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -15°C in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan around that when you fish Bear Trap Lake.

• 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. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Albert Lake at 0.8 km is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Bear Trap Lake locally before you travel.