Fishing at Offset Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, this is Offset Lake. Country round the bank runs to boreal forest. Roughly 26 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 2.2 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Nearest place of any size is Hornepayne, 41 km away. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 313 km distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Offset Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Offset Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -18°C to 16°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Offset Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Mavis Lake, 3.8 km away. Where Offset Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.