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

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Croon Lake. The water sits 435 metres up. Roughly 84 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The shoreline runs about 5.5 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. It sits higher than most water we list in Ontario. Supplies mean a trip to Nipigon, 51 km off. For a city, Thunder Bay is 151 km off. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Croon Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Croon Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 16°C and January near -19°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That shapes the year on Croon Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Squawk Lake, 3.4 km out. Ask locally about Croon Lake if anything is unclear.