Fishing at Tinkle Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Thunder Bay District, Ontario, is where Tinkle Lake sits. What surrounds it is spruce and muskeg. Roughly 2.01 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Around 8.8 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. It ranks high for size among our Thunder Bay District listings. Greenstone sits 41 km from here and is the nearest stop. Beyond it, Geraldton at 42 km and Longlac at 53 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Tinkle Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Tinkle Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 16°C and January near -20°C on the long-run figures. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It holds true on Tinkle Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Nebula Lake at 3 km is the sensible second choice. The position on Tinkle Lake is worth confirming on the day.