Phantom Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District entry here is Phantom Lake, in Ontario. The surface lies 438 metres up. Surface area is around 15 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The whole outline is near 2.2 km, and most of it is walkable. Our Thunder Bay District list holds plenty of bigger water. 53 km away sits Nipigon, the nearest town. After that come Greenstone at 65 km and Geraldton at 78 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Phantom Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Phantom Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -20°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Phantom Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. 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. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Seal Lake is 1.2 km distant. Confirm before you fish Phantom Lake.