Fishing Dorothy Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Dorothy Lake is one of the Thunder Bay District listings for Ontario. It lies 303 metres above sea level. Roughly 37 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 4.2 km keeps the choices simple. Manitouwadge lies 14 km from the water. Hornepayne is 86 km and Terrace Bay 90 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Dorothy Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Dorothy Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -16°C to 16°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Dorothy Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Mickey Lake at 2.4 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Dorothy Lake for certain.