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

• Overview

  You will find Straight Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The bank is 331 metres above sea level. It measures about 63 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The perimeter runs near 5.0 km, so plan the walk before you start. Supplies mean a trip to Manitouwadge, 19 km off. Beyond it, Hornepayne at 62 km and Longlac at 91 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Straight Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. The county list is broader than any single water. Straight Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -18°C at the bottom of winter. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Straight Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Loken Lake, 1.3 km away. Nothing here settles the position at Straight Lake for certain.