Fishing Gumboot Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Thunder Bay District, Ontario, is where Gumboot Lake sits. This is spruce and muskeg ground. With some 11 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. There is roughly 2.3 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Our Thunder Bay District list holds plenty of bigger water. For supplies, Schreiber is 16 km out. Terrace Bay is 26 km and Nipigon 66 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Gumboot Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Fish Gumboot Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 16°C; by January the average is down near -17°C. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Gumboot Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. A phone call first saves an afternoon. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Longcanoe Lake, 1.1 km away. Check the position on Gumboot Lake before loading the car.