Fishing Gort Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Gort Lake is one of the Thunder Bay District waters in Ontario. Land around it is spruce and muskeg. This is sizeable water at about 2.14 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The shoreline runs about 5.8 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. On our Thunder Bay District list it sits near the top for size. 56 km away sits Longlac, the nearest town. It is 297 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Gort Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. The county list is broader than any single water. Work Gort Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -19°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Gort Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Chowder Lake, 3.5 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Gort Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.