Camp Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Camp Lake. The bank gives way to taiga. It runs to roughly 44 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The perimeter runs near 5.6 km, so plan the walk before you start. It is high ground by Ontario standards. Lappe at 68 km is the nearest place to stop. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 90 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Camp Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Thunder Bay District: cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Take Camp Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -20°C at the bottom of winter. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. That shapes the year on Camp Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The closest car park is 1.4 km away, so pack accordingly. 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. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Shorty Lake, 1.8 km away. The position on Camp Lake is worth confirming on the day.