Viola Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, this is Viola Lake. The water sits 378 metres up. The water covers some 33 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 3.9 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. The closest town, Schreiber, is 42 km distant. Further out sit Terrace Bay (45 km) and Greenstone (61 km). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Viola Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Viola Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -18°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Viola Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. A phone call first saves an afternoon. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Bray Lake, 3.8 km away. Rules at Viola Lake are worth checking on the day.