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

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Eric Lake is an Ontario water. Elevation runs to 310 metres. It runs to roughly 25 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 2.4 km, small enough to learn in a day. Manitouwadge is the closest town at 25 km. Hornepayne is 88 km away, with Terrace Bay at 90 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Eric Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Eric Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -16°C at the bottom of winter. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That shapes the year on Eric Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Pinegrove Lake, 5.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Eric Lake carry more weight than any list.