Harris Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. It lies 421 metres above sea level. The water covers around 4.22 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. With about 32 km of shoreline, local advice saves a lot of walking. It ranks high for size among our Thunder Bay District listings. Sioux Lookout sits 93 km from here and is the nearest stop. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 234 km away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Harris Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The near bank of Harris Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -20°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Harris Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Chivelston Lake at 4.2 km is the nearest alternative. What applies at Harris Lake may have changed since it was mapped.