Fishing Sammy's Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. Height above sea level is 302 metres. With some 12 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 1.7 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is a small entry by Thunder Bay District standards. Schreiber at 9.3 km is the nearest place to stop. Further out sit Terrace Bay (21 km) and Nipigon (69 km). There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Sammy's Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Sammy's Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 16°C and January at -16°C. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Sammy's Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Lyne Lake, 1.4 km away. Where Sammy's Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.