Fishing at Esser Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District entry here is Esser Lake, in Ontario. This is taiga ground. This is sizeable water at about 2.47 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The margin runs to about 13 km in total. Few waters listed in Thunder Bay District are bigger. Longlac lies 119 km from the water. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 333 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Esser Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. The county list is broader than any single water. At Esser Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -21°C. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Esser Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. 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. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Painter Lake, 6.1 km away. None of that is settled for Esser Lake in what we hold.