North Nigig Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, sits North Nigig Lake. Height above sea level is 302 metres. The water covers some 68 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 3.7 km, small enough to learn in a day. Start from Greenstone, 85 km down the road. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 272 km distant. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on North Nigig Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. Read North Nigig Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -20°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At North Nigig Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Meta Lake at 4.6 km is the nearest alternative. For North Nigig Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.