Ruffo Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Ruffo Lake is a Thunder Bay District water, in Ontario. It lies 444 metres above sea level. Around 46 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. With about 3.7 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Compared with other Ontario water on our list, it sits high. Start from Lappe, 114 km down the road. Then Nipigon, 118 km, and Shuniah Township, 123 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Ruffo Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Work Ruffo Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -20°C to 17°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Expect Ruffo Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. 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. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Blackstar Lake, 5.4 km away. Nothing here settles the position at Ruffo Lake for certain.