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

• Overview

  Evelyn Lake is a Thunder Bay District water, in Ontario. Height above sea level is 352 metres. At about 30 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 2.8 km on foot. The nearest place of any size is Nipigon, 49 km away. Amethyst Harbour lies 59 km off, Shuniah Township another 62 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Evelyn Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Evelyn Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -18°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Evelyn Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Leckie Lake at 2.9 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Evelyn Lake before loading the car.