De Lesseps Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  De Lesseps Lake is one of the Thunder Bay District listings for Ontario. It stands 377 metres above sea level. At roughly 36.05 sq km it ranks among the larger waters in the region. Around 190 km of margin, so directions matter more than a general plan. It ranks high for size among our Thunder Bay District listings. Start from Sioux Lookout, 109 km down the road. It is 278 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on De Lesseps Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. 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. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish De Lesseps Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 17°C for July and -20°C for January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing De Lesseps Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Wertheim Lake, 7.3 km out. The position on De Lesseps Lake is worth confirming on the day.