Fishing Brandon Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Brandon Lake is an Ontario water. Boreal forest runs right down to the water. Surface area runs to roughly 1.53 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The edge covers about 9.0 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. It ranks high for size among our Thunder Bay District listings. Greenstone sits 139 km from here and is the nearest stop. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 319 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Brandon Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Work Brandon Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -21°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about early May to early November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It sets the rhythm of the year at Brandon Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Dash Lake at 9.2 km is the nearest alternative. Rules at Brandon Lake are worth checking on the day.