Fishing at Island Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. Elevation runs to 349 metres. With some 59 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 4.3 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. You are 34 km from Manitouwadge. For a city, Thunder Bay is 297 km off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Island Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Island Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -18°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Island Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Horseshoe Lake at 2.8 km is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Island Lake if anything is unclear.