Fishing Saunby Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Saunby Lake falls inside Thunder Bay District. It sits in boreal forest. The water covers some 14 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 2.5 km, small enough to learn in a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. The nearest town is Lappe, 71 km away. Shuniah Township is 79 km away, with Current River at 84 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Saunby Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Treat Saunby Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -20°C in January and 17°C in July. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Saunby Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Salmi Lake, 2.2 km out. The position on Saunby Lake is worth confirming on the day.