Cunniah Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Cunniah Lake lies within the bounds of Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The water sits 464 metres up. The water covers some 72 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. At about 7.5 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Ontario listings. For supplies, Grand Marais is 72 km out. It is 114 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cunniah Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Cunniah Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -16°C. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Cunniah Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Pollywog Lake at 1.5 km is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Cunniah Lake as something to verify.