Lofty Lake in Timiskaming District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lofty Lake lies in Timiskaming District, in Ontario. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. Surface area runs to about 6 hectares — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Timiskaming District. You are 69 km from Capreol. Greater Sudbury sits 94 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lofty Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Timiskaming District cover brook trout, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Fish Lofty Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -16°C in January up to 17°C in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Lofty Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Rawleigh Lake is 0.4 km off. None of that is settled for Lofty Lake in what we hold.