Fishing at Bearskin Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Bearskin Lake lies in Thunder Bay District, in Ontario. It sits in lake country bush. This is sizeable water at about 1.98 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The perimeter runs near 11 km, so plan the walk before you start. On our Thunder Bay District list it sits near the top for size. Grand Marais at 36 km is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Thunder Bay is 94 km off. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Bearskin Lake

  The charted maximum sits at about 27 metres. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. The county list is broader than any single water. Work Bearskin Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -15°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. At Bearskin Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A carry of 820 m from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. There is a jetty 270 m off, worth knowing on a busy day. A campsite is mapped about 330 m away, which makes an early start easier. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Hungry Jack Lake is 1 km off. For Bearskin Lake in particular, ask before you travel.