Fishing Big Duck Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Big Duck Lake is one of the Thunder Bay District listings for Ontario. It lies 432 metres above sea level. It measures some 2.18 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. At about 11 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Size puts it in the front rank of our Thunder Bay District list. 21 km away sits Schreiber, the nearest town. Terrace Bay lies 27 km off, Nipigon another 73 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Big Duck Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Big Duck Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 16°C and January near -17°C on the long-run figures. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Big Duck Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Cable Lake is 1.8 km off. Check the position at Big Duck Lake before loading the car.