Lac des Mille Lacs Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Lac des Mille Lacs is one of the Thunder Bay District waters in Ontario. It stands 455 metres above sea level. It covers about 276.74 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. It ranks high for size among our Thunder Bay District listings. Atikokan is the closest town at 82 km. For a city, Thunder Bay is 108 km off. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Mille Lacs

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Lac des Mille Lacs decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -17°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Lac des Mille Lacs runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Cushing Lake sits 6.7 km off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Lac des Mille Lacs if anything is unclear.