Royal Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Royal Lake belongs to Thunder Bay District, Ontario. It lies 442 metres above sea level. At 9 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. For supplies, Grand Marais is 40 km out. For a city, Thunder Bay is 68 km off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Royal Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The shape of Royal Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -15°C in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Royal Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Little John Lake is 2 km distant. Where Royal Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.