Fishing Polly Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The country here is spruce and muskeg. About 2.37 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The edge covers about 7.3 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. On our Thunder Bay District list it sits near the top for size. The town to know is Nipigon, 13 km out. Amethyst Harbour follows at 79 km, then Schreiber at 81 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Polly 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. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Polly Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -17°C. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It sets the rhythm of the year at Polly Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A boat ramp sits about 1.1 km from the water. A carry of 1.1 km from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Picnic facilities are recorded some 750 m out. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Tractor Lake at 5.1 km is the sensible second choice. Where Polly Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.