Gaby Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Gaby Lake falls in Thunder Bay District, part of Ontario. Land around it is northern bush. With some 30 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 2.8 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Manitouwadge sits 42 km from the bank. Beyond it, Hornepayne at 93 km and Terrace Bay at 94 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Gaby Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Gaby Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -16°C to 16°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan any trip to Gaby Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Philip Lake at 2.9 km is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Gaby Lake in what we hold.