Fishing Tilly Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Tilly Lake belongs to Thunder Bay District. The ground round it is lake country bush. Roughly 4.04 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The shoreline runs about 17 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Few waters listed in Thunder Bay District are bigger. Atikokan sits 52 km from here and is the nearest stop. Ignace follows at 102 km, then Ely at 106 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Tilly Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Thunder Bay District list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish Tilly Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -17°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Tilly Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Little Trout Lake sits 1.6 km off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Tilly Lake if anything is unclear.