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

• Overview

  Mussy Lake sits in Thunder Bay District, out in Ontario. The bank gives way to boreal forest. Roughly 2.20 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. With 13 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It ranks high for size among our Thunder Bay District listings. The nearest place of any size is Manitouwadge, 59 km away. Terrace Bay is 80 km and Schreiber 93 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mussy Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Mussy Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 16°C for July and -15°C for January. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Mussy Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. 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. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Gulliver Lake sits 2.7 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Mussy Lake is worth confirming on the day.