Fishing Chriselle Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. This is spruce and muskeg country. Around 11 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. A shoreline of some 2.3 km keeps the choices simple. It is a small entry by Thunder Bay District standards. Lappe lies 61 km from the water. After that come Shuniah Township at 65 km and Amethyst Harbour at 67 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Chriselle Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Chriselle Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -19°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Time your trip to Chriselle Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Arrowroot Lake, 3.1 km out. For Chriselle Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.