Doone Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Doone Lake belongs to Thunder Bay District. The setting is mixed forest. It measures about 36 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Bank access stretches around 2.4 km in total. It sits higher than most water we list in Ontario. Neebing lies 63 km from the water. Parkdale lies 67 km off, Lappe another 68 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Doone Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. The county list is broader than any single water. Doone Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -17°C at the bottom of winter. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Doone Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Marks Lake, 3.5 km away. Rules at Doone Lake are worth checking on the day.