Ponsford Lake
it lies 10 km northwest of Pickle Lake — a charted depth map is on file.
Ponsford Lake is the 1290th-largest of 1,629 named lakes in Ontario Far North, with 2.3 miles of charted shoreline and 1 island.
Ice-out here is typically mid May (modeled from regional ice records).
On this water
Lodges & operators 0
No lodge is based on Ponsford Lake itself. These are the closest that are — each on its own water, with the straight-line distance from here.
- Old Post Lodge✓ Verifiedlodgedrive-tofly-inhousekeeping43 mi away
Home water: Lake St. Joseph
Family-run fishing lodge on Lake St. Joseph, about 35 km south of Pickle Lake in northwestern Ontario, built in 1986 on the site of the Hudson's Bay Company's Osnaburgh House trading post. Fishing targets walleye and northern pike, with pike catch-and-release only and a walleye slot limit under the Lake St. Joseph Accord; non-residents need a special Lake St. Joseph tag, issued in limited numbers through the lodge, and only one barbless hook is permitted. Packages listed include housekeeping, premium and a direct-flight option; the lodge describes itself as reachable by road without a float plane, and offers Pickle Lake airport pickup for $130 per vehicle per trip.
- Slate Falls Outposts✓ Verifiedoutpost networkfly-inboat-inhousekeeping43 mi away
Home water: Lake St. Joseph
Slate Falls Outposts is a Sioux Lookout, Ontario business running remote housekeeping cabins spread across several lakes: four on Lake St. Joseph (three sharing Eagle Island, plus Root Bay), two on Miniss Lake, and one each on Hooker, Arc, Carling and Roadhouse lakes, with Toms Landing and Tuktiwigkik Bay added on Lac Seul in 2025. Access is by floatplane from the company's own airbase, a flight of roughly 20 to 45 minutes; the two Lac Seul cabins can alternatively be reached by an hour-plus boat run for parties bringing their own boats. Package prices are quoted per person by group size and cover boats, motors, gas, flights, block ice, solar refrigeration and satellite internet, while meals are self-catered unless a food plan or guide is bought separately. The company also sells guided moose hunts and offers night-before bunkhouse rooms at the airbase and at the affiliated drive-in Red Pine Lodge.
- Camp Lake St. Joseph Ltd.✓ Verifiedlodgedrive-toboat-inhousekeeping43 mi away
Home water: Lake St. Joseph
Housekeeping-plan fishing camp on remote Lake St. Joseph near Pickle Lake, reached by driving to a marked landing on Highway 599 where staff ferry guests across on a camp barge - boat-in seclusion pitched as a fly-in feel without the airfare. Fishing centers on walleye and northern pike, with per-person nightly cabin rates, boat packages and optional guide service. Guests can alternatively fly commercially from Thunder Bay to Pickle Lake or land private aircraft on its 5,000 ft paved strip.
Eating what you catch
Consumption advisories
Recommended meals per month from Ontario's fish contaminant monitoring — ranges span the tested fish sizes.
| Species | General | Sensitive* |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 4–16 | 0–8 |
| White Sucker | 16–32 | 8–16 |
Advisory cause across all species: Mercury.
*Women of child-bearing age and children under 15. Compiled from the MECP Guide to Eating Ontario Fish (2025 guide) — check the guide for size-specific advice before keeping fish.
Around this water