Beartrap Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Ontario, Beartrap Lake falls inside Thunder Bay District. It lies 436 metres above sea level. With some 43 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 4.6 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Compared with other Ontario water on our list, it sits high. Greenstone is the closest place, 49 km off. After that come Geraldton at 63 km and Nipigon at 65 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Beartrap Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Beartrap Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -19°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Anyone fishing Beartrap Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Benson Lake, 2.5 km out. Ask locally about Beartrap Lake if anything is unclear.