Whitefish Bay – Sioux Narrows

About this water

Whitefish Bay is Lake of the Woods' noted coldwater pocket — lake trout in the deep basins, plus a strong fall muskie run in October and November.

A large, deep arm of Lake of the Woods with rocky shoals and channels around the historic single-span bridge. Clear, cold water in the main basin. FMZ 5.

FMZ 5 regulations — Northwest Ontario — Sunset Country & Rainy River

A 44,360 km² zone in northwest Ontario with about 5,000 lakes. It stretches west to the Manitoba border, borders Quetico Provincial Park on the east, ends at the Minnesota border to the south and reaches north to Highway 17 and the Canadian National Railway.

• Walleye: check for border-water reciprocal rules with Minnesota.
• Smallmouth bass: fourth Saturday in June opener; S-4/C-2 (one over 46 cm).
• Sturgeon: catch-and-release only in most Rainy River tributaries.

Zone check: FMZ 5 confirmed from this water's coordinates against the official Ontario zone boundaries (reviewed 2026-08-12).

Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 5 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Whitefish Bay – Sioux Narrows, taken from the FMZ 5 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 5 season line published in our summary for: Lake Trout, Muskie. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 5 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• Border waters have unique reciprocal licence rules — read the Ontario summary carefully.
• Rainy River sturgeon requires heavy tackle and single hooks per regulation.
• The current through Sioux Narrows concentrates bait and fish — work the bridge area at dawn before the boat traffic starts.
• Access: Free public lot near the Sioux Narrows bridge.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium spinning for smallmouth and walleye; heavy casting for muskie

Rod:

7' medium spinning rod; 8'6" heavy muskie rod

Reel:

Size 3000 spinning; 300-size baitcaster

Line:

10 lb braid; 80 lb braid with heavy fluorocarbon leader for muskie

Best bait:

Minnows, Leeches, Suckers

Best lures:

Tube jig, Jig & minnow, Bucktail, Large glide bait