Fishing Pettit Lake in Rainy River District, Ontario

• Overview

  Pettit Lake is a Rainy River District water, Ontario side. Height above sea level is 382 metres. It covers about 11.86 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. Few waters listed in Rainy River District are bigger. Atikokan sits 52 km from here and is the nearest stop. After that come Ignace at 68 km and Fort Frances at 91 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Pettit Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Rainy River District: northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Pettit Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -17°C in January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Pettit Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Sandbeach Lake at 5 km is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Pettit Lake before loading the car.