Sour Lake in Thunder Bay District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Sour Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The surface lies 443 metres up. Surface area runs to about 7 hectares — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Thunder Bay District standards. The town to know is Nipigon, 33 km out. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 133 km distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Sour Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Sour Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -18°C in January and 16°C in July. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That shapes the year on Sour Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Seahorse Lake at 3 km is the nearest alternative. Where Sour Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.