Fishing Hope Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Hope Lake belongs to Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The bank is 301 metres above sea level. With some 12 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 1.6 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. The nearest place of any size is Longlac, 30 km away. For a city, Thunder Bay is 276 km off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Hope Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Take Hope Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 16°C and January near -19°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Hope Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Charity Lake, 0.6 km away. What applies at Hope Lake may have changed since it was mapped.