Macauley Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Macauley Lake. The bank is 424 metres above sea level. The water covers around 1.45 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. With 11 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. For a base, Lappe sits 32 km out. For a city, Thunder Bay is 50 km off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Macauley Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Macauley Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -18°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Macauley Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Keelor Lake sits 4.7 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Macauley Lake before loading the car.