Hough Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Ontario, Hough Lake falls inside Thunder Bay District. The setting is mixed forest. It measures some 4.68 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. There is roughly 17 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Few waters listed in Thunder Bay District are bigger. Sioux Lookout sits 91 km from the bank. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 246 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hough Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Treat Hough Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 17°C and January near -20°C on the long-run figures. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Plan any trip to Hough Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Shoehorn Lake, 1.6 km away. Check the current arrangement for Hough Lake.