Sunfish Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Sunfish Lake. The surface lies 570 metres up. With some 34 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Bank access stretches around 3.0 km in total. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Ontario listings. Nearest town is Grand Marais, 30 km off. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 80 km distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Sunfish Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Sunfish Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -15°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid 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 Sunfish Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Toilets are 1.4 km away, which matters on a long session. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Triangle Lake at 1.6 km is the sensible second choice. Where Sunfish Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.