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

• Overview

  Out in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, sits Fault Lake. The bank is 556 metres above sea level. With some 23 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. About 2.7 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It is high ground by Ontario standards. The town to know is Grand Marais, 36 km out. Neebing is 55 km away, with Westfort at 72 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Fault Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Fault Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 17°C in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Fault Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Stump Lake, 0.9 km away. For Fault Lake in particular, ask before you travel.