Fishing at Mackenzie Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District entry here is Mackenzie Lake, in Ontario. The bank is 336 metres above sea level. About 4.98 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. You are looking at roughly 18 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. It ranks high for size among our Thunder Bay District listings. Some 147 km away sits Greenstone, the nearest settlement. Then Nipigon, 149 km, and Geraldton, 162 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Mackenzie Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Thunder Bay District list cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Mackenzie Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -21°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Mackenzie Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Clearwater Lake is 2.1 km off. Confirm before you fish Mackenzie Lake.