Fishing Mahamo Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Mahamo Lake sits within Thunder Bay District in Ontario. This is boreal forest ground. At 5.72 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. There is roughly 35 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. Few waters listed in Thunder Bay District are bigger. Greenstone lies 130 km from the water. Thunder Bay sits 293 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Mahamo Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Thunder Bay District: cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Mahamo Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 16°C for July and -21°C for January. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Open water usually runs from early May until about early November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Mahamo Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try French Lake, 5.1 km away. For Mahamo Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.