Fishing at Painter Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Painter Lake is a Thunder Bay District water, in Ontario. The setting is taiga on every side. About 2.73 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. With 9.1 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. On our Thunder Bay District list it sits near the top for size. Longlac lies 113 km from the water. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 329 km away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Painter Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt among the fish reported. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Painter Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 16°C; by January the average is down near -21°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near early November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Painter Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Esser Lake at 6.1 km is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Painter Lake in what we hold.