Fishing McCusker Lake in Kenora District, Ontario

• Overview

  McCusker Lake stands in Kenora District, Ontario. This is mixed forest country. It covers about 30.10 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. Size puts it in the front rank of our Kenora District list. Red Lake is the closest town at 91 km. For a city, Winnipeg is 262 km off. Nearest other option: Keeper Lake about 10 km, Mimi Lake at 17 km, Onepine Lake about 17 km, Herod Lake at 28 km and Sabourin River about 35 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on McCusker Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Kenora District, recorded fish include northern pike, longnose sucker and white sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish McCusker Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 18°C and January near -20°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. McCusker Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Keeper Lake is 10 km off. What applies at McCusker Lake may have changed since it was mapped.