Fishing at Sinclair Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Sinclair Lake is one of the Thunder Bay District listings for Ontario. It sits in northern bush. The water covers around 1.03 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. There is roughly 11 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Schreiber sits 36 km from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 154 km distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Sinclair Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The near bank of Sinclair Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -18°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. On Sinclair Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Jeri Lake at 1.7 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Sinclair Lake.