Hatley Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Hatley Lake. Height above sea level is 329 metres. Around 67 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge covers about 7.3 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. For a base, Longlac sits 46 km out. Geraldton is 50 km and Manitouwadge 57 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Hatley Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The near bank of Hatley Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 16°C for July and -18°C for January. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Hatley Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Berberis Lake is 2.4 km distant. None of that is settled for Hatley Lake in what we hold.