Duck Lake Fishing Guide, Rainy River District, Ontario

• Overview

  Ontario holds Duck Lake, in Rainy River District. The surface lies 441 metres up. The water covers some 55 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The perimeter runs near 5.3 km, so plan the walk before you start. It sits higher than most water we list in Ontario. The closest town, Atikokan, is 29 km distant. For a city, Thunder Bay is 151 km off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Duck Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Rainy River District include northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The shape of Duck Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -17°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. From about late April to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Duck Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Slim Lake is 2.6 km distant. Nothing here settles the position at Duck Lake for certain.