Fillet Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Fillet Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. It stands 307 metres above sea level. The water covers some 58 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge covers about 5.6 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. Longlac at 50 km is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 281 km distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Fillet Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. 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. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Fillet Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -20°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Fillet Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Minnesota Lake, 3.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Fillet Lake.