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

• Overview

  Slush Lake is one of the Thunder Bay District waters in Ontario. The surface lies 501 metres up. The water covers some 15 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 2.3 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Thunder Bay District. The closest town, Nipigon, is 43 km away. Thunder Bay is the closest city, 143 km away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Slush Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Slush Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while January sits near -19°C. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Slush Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Mush Lake, 1.1 km away. Where Slush Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.