Trail Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Thunder Bay District in Ontario is where Trail Lake sits. It sits in taiga. This is sizeable water at about 1.15 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. At about 6.7 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Supplies mean a trip to Nipigon, 158 km off. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 212 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Trail Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Take Trail Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 17°C and January near -21°C. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Trail Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Track Lake is 1.4 km distant. Check the current arrangement for Trail Lake.