Bass Lake Fishing Guide, Peterborough County, Ontario

• Overview

  Ontario holds Bass Lake, in Peterborough County. It lies 256 metres above sea level. The water covers around 1.12 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The shoreline runs about 8.3 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. The nearest place of any size is Bobcaygeon, 14 km away. Then Fenelon Falls, 23 km, and Lakefield, 34 km. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Bass Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name rock bass, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, muskellunge and bluegill. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Bass Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 19°C, the coldest about -10°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Bass Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Little Silver Lake, 4.7 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Bass Lake carry more weight than any list.