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

• Overview

  Cirrus Lake lies in Thunder Bay District, in Ontario. It sits at 326 metres above sea level. Roughly 2.86 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Some 21 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It is among the larger waters listed here for Thunder Bay District. Nearest town is Manitouwadge, 33 km off. Thunder Bay sits 235 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Cirrus Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The near bank of Cirrus Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -16°C to 16°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Cirrus Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Madoson Lake, 1.5 km out. For Cirrus Lake in particular, ask before you travel.