Turnip Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Turnip Lake. It sits in lake country bush country. At roughly 8 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is a small entry by Thunder Bay District standards. Start from Grand Marais, 30 km down the road. Thunder Bay sits 86 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Turnip Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Thunder Bay District: cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. The county list is broader than any single water. Fish Turnip Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -15°C in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It sets the rhythm of the year at Turnip Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. 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. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Peanut Lake sits 0.4 km off and takes the overflow. What applies at Turnip Lake may have changed since it was mapped.