Fishing Mistassini Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Mistassini Lake lies in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. Height above sea level is 337 metres. Roughly 32 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Shoreline comes to about 3.7 km, small enough to learn in a day. Supplies mean a trip to Manitouwadge, 37 km off. After that come Hornepayne at 48 km and Longlac at 120 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mistassini Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Thunder Bay District list cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Mistassini Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -18°C to 16°C. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. At Mistassini Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Bigrock Lake, 3.5 km out. Rules at Mistassini Lake are worth checking on the day.