Fishing at Bear Lake, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Bear Lake lies within the bounds of Nipissing District, Ontario. Height above sea level is 291 metres. At some 5.51 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The shoreline runs about 23 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Nipissing District list. 36 km away sits North Bay, the nearest town. West Nipissing is 38 km away, with Sturgeon Falls at 38 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass among the fish reported. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Treat Bear Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 18°C, with January the cold end at about -14°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Bear Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Hammell Lake, 3.6 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Bear Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.