Ridout Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Ridout Lake. Land around it is taiga. The water covers around 1.38 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The perimeter runs near 12 km, so plan the walk before you start. You are 57 km from Longlac. Beyond it, Geraldton at 59 km and Greenstone at 62 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Ridout Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Thunder Bay District list cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Ridout Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -20°C in January and 16°C in July. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Ridout Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Puppet Lake sits 4.5 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Ridout Lake is worth confirming on the day.