Fishing at Long Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Long Lake is a Thunder Bay District water, Ontario side. Elevation runs to 347 metres. It measures about 15 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 4.1 km on foot. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. Manitouwadge lies 56 km from the water. After that come Hornepayne at 90 km and Wawa at 96 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Work Long Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -16°C to 16°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Long Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Jijime Lake at 2.8 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm access to Long Lake locally before you travel.