Mallard Lake in Thunder Bay District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, this is Mallard Lake. Height above sea level is 467 metres. It is high ground by Ontario standards. For supplies, Grand Marais is 51 km out. Neebing lies 53 km off, Parkdale another 65 km. Within easy reach: Wabindon Creek at 2.9 km, Roundtable Lake at about 3.5 km, Cameron Lake at 3.7 km, Castle Lake at about 4.2 km and Atik Lake at 4.4 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mallard Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Mallard Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -16°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Mallard Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Wabindon Creek, 2.9 km away. Confirm access to Mallard Lake locally before you travel.