Tinto Lake in Thunder Bay District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Tinto Lake lies within the bounds of Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The land about it is lake country bush. Roughly 1.75 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. There is roughly 15 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Few waters listed in Thunder Bay District are bigger. Lappe sits 66 km from the bank. Beyond it, Parkdale at 72 km and College Park at 73 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Tinto Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. The county list is broader than any single water. Anyone new to Tinto Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -17°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Tinto Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Highcliff Lake is 1.9 km distant. Rules at Tinto Lake are worth checking on the day.