Lusk Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lusk Lake is a Thunder Bay District water, in Ontario. The bank is 411 metres above sea level. The water covers some 65 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The shoreline runs about 8.8 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Supplies mean a trip to Lappe, 73 km off. Further out sit Nipigon (78 km) and Shuniah Township (79 km). Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lusk Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Thunder Bay District: cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The near bank of Lusk Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -20°C to 17°C. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Lusk Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Towsley Lake is 2.3 km off. Where Lusk Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.