Fishing at Crater Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Ontario holds Crater Lake, in Thunder Bay District. It sits at 302 metres above sea level. At 3 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Most waters listed here for Thunder Bay District are larger. Greenstone at 58 km is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 166 km distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Crater Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Thunder Bay District list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Crater Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -20°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Crater Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There is recorded parking some 310 m off. 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. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Janakka Lake, 0.5 km away. Nothing here settles the position at Crater Lake for certain.