Fishing Pakashkan Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Pakashkan Lake falls inside Thunder Bay District. The bank is 465 metres above sea level. It covers about 51.07 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. Its shape is complex, and the arms fish like separate waters. It ranks high for size among our Thunder Bay District listings. Ignace lies 100 km from the water. Beyond it, Lappe at 112 km and Atikokan at 119 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Pakashkan Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Pakashkan Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -20°C in January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Pakashkan Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Piche Lake is 6.7 km distant. Treat access at Pakashkan Lake as something to verify.