Shekaka Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, this is Shekaka Lake. It sits at 504 metres above sea level. With some 28 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 2.8 km, small enough to learn in a day. It is high ground by Ontario standards. The nearest town is Grand Marais, 46 km away. For a city, Thunder Bay is 99 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Shekaka Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Shekaka Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 18°C in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about late April to mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. On Shekaka Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, North Lake is 1.8 km off. Nothing here settles the position at Shekaka Lake for certain.