Hendrickson Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The setting is northern bush on every side. The water covers some 17 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 2.6 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. The nearest place of any size is Greenstone, 57 km away. Further out sit Geraldton (68 km) and Longlac (88 km). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hendrickson Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Thunder Bay District list cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Hendrickson Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -20°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on Hendrickson Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Metcalfe Lake, 1.8 km out. None of that is settled for Hendrickson Lake in what we hold.