Monetoues Lake in Thunder Bay District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Monetoues Lake lies within the bounds of Thunder Bay District, Ontario. It stands 342 metres above sea level. Roughly 13 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thunder Bay District list. The nearest place of any size is Manitouwadge, 31 km away. Hornepayne lies 47 km off, Longlac another 108 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Monetoues Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco and rainbow smelt among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Monetoues Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -18°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. On Monetoues Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Wabatong Lake at 1.2 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Monetoues Lake before loading the car.