Iron Range Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Iron Range Lake sits in Thunder Bay District, out in Ontario. The country here is lake country bush. This is sizeable water at about 2.08 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The edge covers about 10 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. It is among the larger waters listed here for Thunder Bay District. Head to Grand Marais, 49 km away, for anything you forgot. Neebing lies 68 km off, Parkdale another 79 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Iron Range Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Iron Range Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -16°C in January up to 17°C in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Anyone fishing Iron Range Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Scott Lake sits 1.8 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Iron Range Lake for certain.