Upper Pantagruel Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Upper Pantagruel Lake is one of the Thunder Bay District listings for Ontario. The water sits 414 metres up. It runs to roughly 64 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 4.5 km keeps the choices simple. Nipigon sits 124 km from the bank. Lappe lies 128 km off, Shuniah Township another 136 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Upper Pantagruel Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Thunder Bay District: cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Upper Pantagruel Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -20°C at the bottom of winter. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. At Upper Pantagruel Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. 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. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Holinshead Lake, 7.3 km out. The position on Upper Pantagruel Lake is worth confirming on the day.