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

• Overview

  Within Thunder Bay District, Ontario, you have Long Lake. It sits in boreal forest country. With about 3.7 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Our Thunder Bay District list holds plenty of bigger water. Amethyst Harbour at 24 km is the nearest place to stop. After that come Shuniah Township at 37 km and Current River at 45 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Read Long Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 17°C in July. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan any trip to Long Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Demuth Lake, 1 km out. Where Long Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.