Dog Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Dog Lake is an Ontario water. It stands 416 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to some 144.26 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The bank is deeply indented, so shelter is easy to find in any wind. Size puts it in the front rank of our Thunder Bay District list. For supplies, Lappe is 26 km out. County Park is 41 km and Shuniah Township 41 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Dog Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Dog Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -19°C in January up to 17°C in July. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Dog Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Toole Lake, 7.8 km away. Confirm before you fish Dog Lake.