Elwood Lake in Thunder Bay District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Elwood Lake lies within the bounds of Thunder Bay District, Ontario. Land around it is taiga. With some 67 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The margin runs to about 5.6 km in total. For a base, Greenstone sits 19 km out. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 217 km away. In the same area: Piccolo Lake about 2.3 km, Flute Lake some 3 km off, Bieber Lake about 3.3 km, Eight Lake some 4.2 km off and Fife Lake about 4.3 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Elwood Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Elwood Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -20°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Elwood Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Piccolo Lake at 2.3 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Elwood Lake before loading the car.