McKellar Lake Fishing near Terrace Bay, Ontario

• Overview

  McKellar Lake lies in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The surface lies 271 metres up. Roughly 42 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 4.3 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Terrace Bay is the closest place, 30 km off. For a city, Thunder Bay is 194 km off. Within a short drive: McLaren Lake some 2.7 km off, Goldbar Lake (3.4 km), Ripple Lake some 4.1 km off, Deb Lake (4.6 km) and Del Lake some 4.7 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on McKellar Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Thunder Bay District, recorded fish include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On McKellar Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -16°C. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. McKellar Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, McLaren Lake is 2.7 km distant. Ask locally about McKellar Lake if anything is unclear.