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

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, this is Raven Lake. The ground round it is spruce and muskeg. It runs to roughly 27 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 4.2 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Nearest town is Manitouwadge, 48 km off. Further out sit Hornepayne (52 km) and Wawa (107 km). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Raven Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Raven Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 16°C and January near -18°C. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Raven Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Kenshoe Lake is 2.2 km distant. What applies at Raven Lake may have changed since it was mapped.