Fishing at Dead Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Dead Lake is an Ontario water. The surroundings are taiga. The water covers some 31 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 3.9 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. The nearest place of any size is Greenstone, 47 km away. Geraldton is 63 km away, with Nipigon at 82 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Dead Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include 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 Dead Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -20°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Dead Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Spawn Lake sits 1.3 km off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Dead Lake in what we hold.