Fishing at Excalibur Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Excalibur Lake sits in Thunder Bay District, out in Ontario. The country round it is taiga from end to end. Roughly 55 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The margin runs to about 8.3 km in total. Nearest town is Manitouwadge, 38 km off. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 235 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Excalibur Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Excalibur Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -18°C in January. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Excalibur Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Boomerang Lake, 3.8 km away. Confirm access to Excalibur Lake locally before you travel.