Fishing at Robb Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Robb Lake is set in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. It sits in northern bush country. At about 90 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Some 8.4 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Nearest place of any size is Longlac, 30 km away. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 250 km away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Robb Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Robb Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while January sits near -18°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Robb Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Broadsword Lake at 3.5 km is the sensible second choice. What applies at Robb Lake may have changed since it was mapped.