Fishing Wildgoose Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Wildgoose Lake is a Thunder Bay District water, Ontario side. Spruce and muskeg runs right down to the water. It covers about 16.98 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. There is roughly 66 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. On our Thunder Bay District list it sits near the top for size. Greenstone lies 1 km from the water. Thunder Bay sits 213 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Wildgoose Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Thunder Bay District records list cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco among the fish reported. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Wildgoose Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -19°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Wildgoose Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Scroll Lake is 3.7 km off. Rules at Wildgoose Lake are worth checking on the day.