Steeres Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, this is Steeres Lake. The water sits 227 metres up. The water measures roughly 7 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. Wawa lies 92 km from the water. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 242 km distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Steeres Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Steeres Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 16°C; by January the average is down near -11°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Steeres Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Berkstrom Lake, 0.3 km away. Signs at Steeres Lake carry more weight than any list.