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

• Overview

  Otter Lake lies in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. Elevation runs to 475 metres. It runs to roughly 57 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge covers about 5.3 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Ontario listings. Atikokan is the closest place, 52 km off. Ignace is 97 km and Ely 112 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Otter Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Thunder Bay District: cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Otter Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -17°C to 18°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. From about late April to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan any trip to Otter Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Windigoostigwan Lake, 4 km away. Nothing on Otter Lake should be assumed from this page alone.