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

• Overview

  You will find Clay Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. Elevation runs to 328 metres. It runs to roughly 19 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 3.0 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Head to Manitouwadge, 42 km away, for anything you forgot. For a city, Thunder Bay is 278 km off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Clay Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Clay Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -17°C. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Clay Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Patina Lake, 3.4 km away. Check the position at Clay Lake before loading the car.