Conant Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Thunder Bay District in Ontario is where Conant Lake sits. It sits at 413 metres above sea level. Roughly 1.81 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. There is roughly 12 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. On our Thunder Bay District list it sits near the top for size. Some 97 km away sits Sioux Lookout, the nearest settlement. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 241 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Conant Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Conant Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 17°C and January reads -20°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan around that when you fish Conant Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Handy Lake sits 2.3 km off and takes the overflow. Treat Conant Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.