Cameron Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, sits Cameron Lake. The surface lies 507 metres up. Surface area is around 33 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The full circuit measures close to 2.8 km on foot. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Ontario listings. Neebing lies 50 km from the water. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 66 km away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Cameron Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Cameron Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -16°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Cameron Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. 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. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Castle Lake is 3 km distant. Where Cameron Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.