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

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Chas Lake. Country round the bank runs to northern bush. At about 34 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Bank access stretches around 3.2 km in total. Longlac lies 54 km from the water. Geraldton follows at 65 km, then Greenstone at 72 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Chas Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco among the fish reported. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Chas Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -20°C to 16°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Chas Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Levine Lake at 0.8 km is the nearest alternative. What applies at Chas Lake may have changed since it was mapped.