Buchanan Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ontario holds Buchanan Lake, in Thunder Bay District. Around the bank it is rolling bush. Roughly 34 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Around 4.8 km of margin, front to back. Ground here is low by Ontario standards. Wawa sits 91 km from here and is the nearest stop. Then Terrace Bay, 113 km, and Manitouwadge, 117 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Buchanan Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Buchanan Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -10°C in January to roughly 16°C in August. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan any trip to Buchanan Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is a mapped landing stage 990 m away. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Perry Lake at 1 km is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Buchanan Lake in what we hold.