Fishing Tara Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Tara Lake falls inside Thunder Bay District. It lies 293 metres above sea level. At about 41 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. You are looking at roughly 5.4 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Some 48 km away sits Manitouwadge, the nearest settlement. Longlac lies 62 km off, Hornepayne another 80 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Tara Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Tara Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -18°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Tara Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Stilwell Lake at 3.2 km is the nearest alternative. For Tara Lake in particular, ask before you travel.