Wish Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Wish Lake falls inside Thunder Bay District. It lies 415 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 67 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 4.5 km of margin, front to back. For a base, Sioux Lookout sits 104 km out. For a city, Thunder Bay is 225 km off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Wish Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Thunder Bay District: cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The near bank of Wish Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 17°C for July and -20°C for January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Wish Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Loch Gordon at 1.3 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Wish Lake for certain.