Fishing at Gornupkagama Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Gornupkagama Lake is an Ontario water. It sits at 436 metres above sea level. About 1.17 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. At about 14 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Compared with other Ontario water on our list, it sits high. For a base, Wawa sits 75 km out. Thunder Bay sits 266 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Gornupkagama Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Thunder Bay District: 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. Work Gornupkagama Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -15°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan any trip to Gornupkagama Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Pinei Lake, 3.4 km out. Check the current arrangement for Gornupkagama Lake.