Van Poele Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ontario holds Van Poele Lake, in Thunder Bay District. Height above sea level is 299 metres. About 1.50 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. Some 12 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It ranks high for size among our Thunder Bay District listings. Greenstone is the closest town at 141 km. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 304 km away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Van Poele Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Thunder Bay District list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Van Poele Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -21°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near early November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Van Poele Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Jessiman Lake at 7.1 km is the nearest alternative. For Van Poele Lake in particular, ask before you travel.