South Beatty Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  South Beatty Lake is one of the Thunder Bay District waters in Ontario. The bank gives way to boreal forest. The water covers around 2.85 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. With 17 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. On our Thunder Bay District list it sits near the top for size. Greenstone is the closest town at 27 km. Geraldton follows at 37 km, then Longlac at 65 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on South Beatty Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At South Beatty Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -19°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on South Beatty Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Urn Lake, 5.1 km away. For South Beatty Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.