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

• Overview

  Lutra Lake is a Thunder Bay District water, Ontario side. The setting is boreal forest. Around 12 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. Around 1.9 km of margin, front to back. Most waters listed here for Thunder Bay District are larger. Manitouwadge sits 38 km from here and is the nearest stop. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 295 km away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lutra Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lutra Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -18°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Lutra Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Hillsport Lake sits 6.6 km off and takes the overflow. Where Lutra Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.