Fishing Fourth Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Fourth Lake stands in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. Surface area runs to about 5 hectares — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. Schreiber lies 3.7 km from the water. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 152 km away. Within easy reach: West Pond (3 km), Lost Lake about 3.8 km, Lamont Lake (4.3 km), Rongie Lake about 4.7 km and Craft Lake (5 km). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Fourth Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Fourth Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 15°C at the top of summer and -14°C at the bottom of winter. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Expect Fourth Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try West Pond, 3 km away. Check the position on Fourth Lake before loading the car.