Bill Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Bill Lake belongs to Thunder Bay District. It stands 430 metres above sea level. The water covers some 15 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 2.7 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Most waters listed here for Thunder Bay District are larger. Supplies mean a trip to Manitouwadge, 52 km off. Then Terrace Bay, 52 km, and Schreiber, 64 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Bill Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Thunder Bay District: cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. The county list is broader than any single water. At Bill Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 15°C and January at -15°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Time your trip to Bill Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Bamoos Lake sits 2.3 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Bill Lake before loading the car.