Ravine Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Ravine Lake. The bank gives way to boreal forest. At some 1.25 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Some 15 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Start from Manitouwadge, 32 km down the road. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 268 km distant. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Ravine Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Thunder Bay District: cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Anyone new to Ravine Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -17°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Expect Ravine Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Galoche Lake, 3.9 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Ravine Lake locally before you travel.