Fishing at Mettawi Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Mettawi Lake lies in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. It sits in pine and birch. About 1.89 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. There is roughly 14 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Few waters listed in Thunder Bay District are bigger. Ignace sits 66 km from here and is the nearest stop. Then Atikokan, 99 km, and Sioux Lookout, 112 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Mettawi Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Mettawi Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -20°C in January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Mettawi Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Tide Lake at 1.4 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Mettawi Lake for certain.