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

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Wes Lake is an Ontario water. Elevation runs to 301 metres. With some 54 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 3.3 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Longlac lies 71 km from the water. Geraldton lies 86 km off, Greenstone another 94 km. Round about: Mitt Lake about 1.4 km, Sheep Lake within 5.2 km, Chatham Lake about 5.7 km, Anchor Lake within 5.7 km and McEachern Lake about 6 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Wes Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Wes Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -20°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Wes Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Mitt Lake at 1.4 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Wes Lake.