Totem Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Totem Lake is a Thunder Bay District water, Ontario side. The surface lies 321 metres up. Roughly 73 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. At about 8.9 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Greenstone is the closest town at 63 km. Thunder Bay sits 219 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Totem Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. The county list is broader than any single water. Fish Totem Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -20°C in January. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. The season on Totem Lake follows the weather closely.

• 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. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Elbow Lake is 2.5 km distant. Signs at Totem Lake carry more weight than any list.