Fishing at Horne Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Horne Lake sits within Thunder Bay District in Ontario. The surroundings are boreal forest. Around 19 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The bank runs about 3.6 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is high ground by Ontario standards. Schreiber lies 43 km from the water. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 140 km distant. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Horne Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater among the fish reported. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Horne Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -18°C in January. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Horne Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, First Lake is 3.8 km off. Signs at Horne Lake carry more weight than any list.