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

• Overview

  In Ontario, Philip Lake belongs to Thunder Bay District. The country here is taiga. Around 13 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The bank runs about 1.5 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is a small entry by Thunder Bay District standards. Supplies mean a trip to Manitouwadge, 40 km off. Hornepayne is 92 km away, with Terrace Bay at 93 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Philip Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Philip Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to Philip Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Bullring Lake sits 2.7 km off and takes the overflow. Rules at Philip Lake are worth checking on the day.