Kaministiquia River – Thunder Bay

About this water

Thunder Bay's home-water walleye river, fishable from a boat or from shore right inside the city.

Large, deceptively swift river with holes over 40 ft deep and three distinct mouth arms — McKellar, Mission and Kam. Stained flow. FMZ 6.

FMZ 6 regulations — Northwest Ontario — Thunder Bay & Lake Nipigon

Inland northwest Ontario north of Lake Superior. Lake Superior and the state of Minnesota form its southern border, and it includes the islands in Nipigon Bay plus St. Ignace and Simpson Islands in Lake Superior. Lake Superior itself is FMZ 9.

• Brook trout: heavily protected — check individual water for size limits (often 56 cm min).
• Lake trout: seasons and limits vary by water; many lakes are S-1/C-0.
• Nipigon River: single barbless hooks and artificial lures only on much of the system.

Zone check: FMZ 6 confirmed from this water's coordinates against the official Ontario zone boundaries (reviewed 2026-08-12). The FMZ 9 boundary is only 1.51 km away, so confirm which zone your launch falls in.

Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 6 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Kaministiquia River – Thunder Bay, taken from the FMZ 6 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 6 season line published in our summary for: Walleye, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Black Crappie. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 6 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• This is coaster brook trout country — treat every fish gently, keep it wet, release quickly.
• Deep lake trout structure fishing shines from ice-out through late June.
• Vertical jig the deep holes when the current is strong; the three mouth arms fish very differently, so try more than one on a slow day.
• Access: Free public lots at the Mission Island launch and at Mountdale Ave above the James St Bridge.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium spinning for walleye

Rod:

7' medium spinning rod

Reel:

Size 3000 spinning reel

Line:

10 lb braid with 10 lb fluorocarbon leader

Best bait:

Minnows, Leeches, Worms

Best lures:

Jig & minnow, Blade bait, Crankbait