Fishing at Cray Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Cray Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. It sits in northern bush country. Surface area is around 12 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Roughly 1.8 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. For supplies, Longlac is 14 km out. For a city, Thunder Bay is 238 km off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Cray Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Cray Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while January sits near -19°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Anyone fishing Cray Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Yak Lake is 2.8 km distant. The position on Cray Lake is worth confirming on the day.