Murray Lake Fishing in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Thunder Bay District end of Ontario holds Murray Lake. The water sits 325 metres up. It runs to roughly 17 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 1.7 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Greenstone lies 52 km from the water. After that come Geraldton at 68 km and Nipigon at 81 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Murray Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. The county list is broader than any single water. Work Murray Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -20°C. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on Murray Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Patter Lake is 1.5 km off. Confirm before you fish Murray Lake.