Butcherhook Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. It lies 357 metres above sea level. Surface area is around 24 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The whole outline is near 3.4 km, and most of it is walkable. Head to Longlac, 39 km away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 238 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Butcherhook Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Butcherhook Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 16°C and January near -18°C. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Butcherhook Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Ploughshare Lake is 2.6 km distant. Ask locally about Butcherhook Lake if anything is unclear.