Scotch Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Scotch Lake belongs to Thunder Bay District. It lies 334 metres above sea level. At roughly 9 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Most waters listed here for Thunder Bay District are larger. Greenstone is the closest town at 76 km. It is 235 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Scotch Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Scotch Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -20°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Scotch Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Rye Lake, 0.7 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Scotch Lake if anything is unclear.