Fishing at McKnight Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  You will find McKnight Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. It lies 399 metres above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 3.55 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. At about 9.6 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. On our Thunder Bay District list it sits near the top for size. Nearest town is Greenstone, 48 km off. Geraldton lies 55 km off, Schreiber another 59 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on McKnight Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Thunder Bay District list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. McKnight Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -19°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On McKnight Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. 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. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Cowan Lake is 2.5 km distant. Rules at McKnight Lake are worth checking on the day.