Fishing at Rye Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Rye Lake lies in Thunder Bay District, in Ontario. Elevation runs to 337 metres. At 5 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Most waters listed here for Thunder Bay District are larger. The closest town, Greenstone, is 77 km away. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 235 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Rye Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Rye Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 16°C and January at -20°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Rye Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Scotch Lake, 0.7 km out. Where Rye Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.