Puff Lake Fishing near Grand Marais, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Puff Lake in the Thunder Bay District part of Ontario. Height above sea level is 609 metres. The water measures roughly 2 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Thunder Bay District. The nearest town is Grand Marais, 32 km away. Neebing is 61 km away, with Parkdale at 78 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Puff Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Puff Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 17°C in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Puff Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Tomato Lake is 0.9 km off. Where Puff Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.