Fishing Holness Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Holness Lake belongs to Thunder Bay District, Ontario. Land around it is pine and birch. It runs to roughly 19 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Bank access stretches around 1.9 km in total. Nearest place of any size is Nipigon, 47 km away. Amethyst Harbour is 66 km away, with Shuniah Township at 70 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Holness Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Holness Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -18°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Holness Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Embargo Lake, 2.4 km out. Rules at Holness Lake are worth checking on the day.