Sunbow Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Sunbow Lake is one of the Thunder Bay District listings for Ontario. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. It measures some 5.57 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The outline measures near 29 km, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. On our Thunder Bay District list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Grand Marais, is 54 km away. It is 96 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Sunbow Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Sunbow Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Anyone fishing Sunbow Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Madalaine Lake is 3.5 km distant. Confirm access to Sunbow Lake locally before you travel.