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

• Overview

  Little Lake falls in Thunder Bay District, part of Ontario. The water sits 251 metres up. It covers about 8 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Our Thunder Bay District list holds plenty of bigger water. For supplies, Schreiber is 20 km out. Then Terrace Bay, 32 km, and Nipigon, 57 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Little Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Little Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -15°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Time your trip to Little Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. A boat ramp sits about 1.2 km from the water. Fishing from a pier is possible 1.1 km away. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Lonely Island Lake at 1.3 km is the nearest alternative. Rules at Little Lake are worth checking on the day.