Mortimer Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Mortimer Lake. The bank is 234 metres above sea level. The water measures roughly 2 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. Most waters listed here for Thunder Bay District are larger. Head to Terrace Bay, 12 km away, for anything you forgot. For a city, Thunder Bay is 164 km off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mortimer Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. The county list is broader than any single water. Mortimer Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -12°C to 16°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Mortimer Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Hart Lake at 3.7 km is the nearest alternative. Rules at Mortimer Lake are worth checking on the day.