Mooney Lake near Atikokan: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Rainy River District in Ontario is where Mooney Lake sits. Everything around it is rolling bush. The water covers some 60 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline length is close to 7.0 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Atikokan lies 31 km from the water. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 208 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Mooney Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Rainy River District include northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Mooney Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -17°C in January up to 18°C in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Mooney Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Factor Lake, 2.5 km out. Nothing here settles the position at Mooney Lake for certain.