Lake Of The Day : Thunder Bay Harbour

In springtime, Thunder Bay region offers some of the most exciting walleye fishing in Ontario thanks to a successful stocking program. Most catches average 14-16 inches, but trophy fish weighing up to 10 lbs. are occasionally reeled in. Thunder Bay is also a great jumping-off spot for salmon and trout fishing. Pike stocks in Thunder Bay Harbour are starting to increase. While they have always been around, for many years the pike were scarce, and those that could be caught were on the small side. That is starting to change. The Kaministiquia River, for example, is known for plentiful walleye and pike. A public boat launch is located on the lower river from 106th Avenue on Mission Island or above the James Street Bridge at Mountdale Avenue. Kevin Green, from Romppais Outdoors, says that the Kaministiquia River also has great fishing for walleye, smallmouth bass and crappie. He reminds anglers that sturgeon are protected and can’t be targetted or kept. Kevin Green notes that there are several tributaries that flow into Lake Superior around Thunder Bay. All of them get a run of steelhead in the spring, and, to a lesser extent, in the fall as well. The Current River, which runs within city boundaries, features several piers accessible from Fisherman’s Road where anglers can cast into the river mouth. Another option is Boulevard Lake, a swimming reservoir that holds brook trout and pike as well as walleye. Nearby Silver Harbour is recommended for ice fishing. LAKE ACCESS There are many different piers for shore fishing and boat launches.