Harris Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, this is Harris Lake. The bank is 266 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 3 hectares — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. Some 33 km away sits Nipigon, the nearest settlement. Amethyst Harbour is 36 km and Shuniah Township 50 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Harris Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Harris Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -16°C in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Harris Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Bat Lake is 3.4 km off. Ask locally about Harris Lake if anything is unclear.