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

• Overview

  You will find Gadwall Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The ground round it is lake country bush. It covers about 8 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. Supplies mean a trip to Grand Marais, 36 km off. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 77 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Gadwall Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Gadwall Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 17°C in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Gadwall Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. You can camp 1.1 km off, which suits an early start. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Pine Lake, 0.6 km away. What applies at Gadwall Lake may have changed since it was mapped.