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

• Overview

  You will find Picture Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The surroundings are taiga. At roughly 2 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Most waters listed here for Thunder Bay District are larger. Supplies mean a trip to Amethyst Harbour, 12 km off. Beyond it, Shuniah Township at 28 km and Current River at 36 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Picture Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Picture Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -16°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That shapes the year on Picture Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. There is a campsite 520 m from the water. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Mirror Lake is 0.3 km off. Signs at Picture Lake carry more weight than any list.