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

• Overview

  Brule Lake is one of the Thunder Bay District listings for Ontario. It stands 441 metres above sea level. Roughly 99 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The outline measures near 7.1 km, so local knowledge counts. Compared with other Ontario water on our list, it sits high. Nearest town is Atikokan, 58 km off. Further out sit Ignace (98 km) and Lappe (111 km). There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Brule Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Brule Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -17°C for January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Brule Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Green Lake is 2.5 km distant. Signs at Brule Lake carry more weight than any list.