Decoy Lake Fishing Guide, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Decoy Lake is set in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. It stands 312 metres above sea level. Roughly 42 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 3.2 km keeps the choices simple. Supplies mean a trip to Manitouwadge, 51 km off. Then Hornepayne, 62 km, and Longlac, 81 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Decoy Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Thunder Bay District cover cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Work Decoy Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Decoy Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, 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. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Turtle Lake at 1.5 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Decoy Lake should be assumed from this page alone.