Fishing at Mephitis Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Mephitis Lake. It stands 353 metres above sea level. Roughly 19 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 2.6 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. The town to know is Manitouwadge, 50 km out. Hornepayne follows at 72 km, then Wawa at 99 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Mephitis Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Thunder Bay District: cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Mephitis Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 16°C for July and -17°C for January. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Mephitis Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Pants Lake, 1 km away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Mephitis Lake is worth confirming on the day.