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

• Overview

  In Ontario, Upper Ricestalk Lake belongs to Thunder Bay District. It stands 480 metres above sea level. Roughly 1.14 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. You are looking at roughly 11 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. It sits higher than most water we list in Ontario. The closest town, Lappe, is 96 km distant. Thunder Bay sits 115 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Upper Ricestalk Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Upper Ricestalk Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -19°C in January to roughly 17°C in July. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Expect Upper Ricestalk Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Muise Lake is 3.7 km distant. What applies at Upper Ricestalk Lake may have changed since it was mapped.