Sparks Lake near Amethyst Harbour: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Sparks Lake lies in Thunder Bay District, in Ontario. Beyond the shoreline you have rolling bush. Surface area runs to about 7 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Thunder Bay District are larger. The nearest town is Amethyst Harbour, 7.9 km away. Beyond it, Shuniah Township at 10 km and Current River at 18 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Sparks Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Sparks Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 17°C for July and -15°C for January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Sparks Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Roll Lake is 9.9 km distant. Where Sparks Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.