Fishing Powell Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Powell Lake is a Thunder Bay District water, Ontario side. The water sits 399 metres up. The water covers around 2.39 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. Shoreline length is close to 9.2 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Few waters listed in Thunder Bay District are bigger. The nearest place of any size is Atikokan, 64 km away. Grand Marais lies 88 km off, Ely another 95 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Powell Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Powell Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Anyone fishing Powell Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Pats Lake at 3.3 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Powell Lake should be assumed from this page alone.