Three Finger Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Three Finger Lake stands in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The ground around here is rolling bush. It measures about 23 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Roughly 4.6 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. You are 56 km from Manitouwadge. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 219 km away. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Three Finger Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Work Three Finger Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 16°C on average, January about -15°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Three Finger Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Camp 14 Lake at 2.7 km is the sensible second choice. For Three Finger Lake in particular, ask before you travel.