Jar Lake in Thunder Bay District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District entry here is Jar Lake, in Ontario. Around the bank it is pine and birch. The water covers some 16 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 1.6 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. For a base, Grand Marais sits 55 km out. Neebing is 68 km and Parkdale 76 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Jar Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Jar Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -16°C. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Jar Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Henhawk Lake, 3.9 km away. None of that is settled for Jar Lake in what we hold.