Fishing at Magpie Lake, Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  Kenora District, Ontario, is where Magpie Lake sits. This is rolling bush country. It runs to roughly 59 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 3.1 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Sioux Lookout sits 67 km from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 337 km distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Magpie Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Kenora District names northern pike, longnose sucker and white sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Magpie Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -19°C at the bottom of winter. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Magpie Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Kastner Lake is 2.4 km distant. Where Magpie Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.